Escaping the Fire
by TheGirlWhoSawImagination
Summary: (AU. 2nd in the Midnight Fur series) It is Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, but who knew it could be so difficult. Whether it's the Triwizard Tournament, danger lurking in every corner, or that the pack must survive, the seven of them are in for a wild time.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: I'm back with the Midnight Fur Series! Who else is happy about it? I know I am! For those of you, who have not read the first of this Fanfiction series, please read the first one, **_**Midnight Fur**_** There are references that one must know before they actually read this one. It is critical. For those of you, who have returned from reading it, welcome back! I thought about letting a week go by before I posted this story, but I couldn't wait. I just had to post this! Oh yes, and a fair warning to all of you people; I warn you, this story does involve some soul mate pairings, but it isn't like your normal soul mates/bonding type story. I'm not saying all of the pairings yet, though.**

_The disgusting creature pointed his wand at the muggle man, and a flashing green light showered the whole room, and then the muggle man was dead._

"_James!" cried Lily, shaking her head as James hexed Severus._

_ "What my Lily-flower?" James walked back to her, cupping her face in his hands._

_ "Don't do that, please? Severus may be a pureblood freak, but he doesn't deserve that."_

_ James nodded, taking Lily's hand, and they walked throughout the corridors, holding hands._

_ Harry followed them, until a familiar laugh came from behind him. He spun around, to meet those bright chocolate brown eyes. She laughed. "Are those your parents Harry?" she giggled._

_ "How'd you get in here?" demanded Harry._

_ Ginny Weasley sighed, before answering, "I don't really know, nor do I want to know. One second I'm dreaming of the crashing of the Quidditch World Cup, and the next I'm here," she scowled._

_ "I didn't do it!"_

_ "Sure you didn't."_

_ "I'm going to have to wake us up," Harry sighed, before concentrating very hard._

_ "Don't take the fun out of it!" Ginny sighed as he woke up._

That was the first obnoxious dream Harry had after the Quidditch World Cup, but before the start of his fourth year at Hogwarts. And he did not want another one, at all.

But knowing his overactive imagination, the dreams were likely to just increase.


	2. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: I know this Author's Note is going to be huge, but a few things need to be clarified at the moment. There are pairings in this Fanfiction now, and if you don't know what they are, I have the pairings I like on my profile. Don't like the pairings, I'm sorry you 'wasted your time'. If you do like the pairings, then good for you! Also, as I said before, this has soul mates in this story. I'm sorry if you're fed up with soul mates/bonding pairings, but in order for the story to work, it has to be done. One more thing, no spam! I'm not very happy with spammers at the moment, at all. I already have a bit of a temper, and it doesn't help when you have spammers. It honestly doesn't feel that great when you have an obnoxious spammer raiding your reviews. If you have a review, please post it. If not, do not spam!**

Harry sat with his friends in a compartment on the train going to Hogwarts. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and surprisingly, Fred and George; they were talking about various topics, but Ginny and Harry awkwardly glanced at each other from time to time.

There was definitely something strange about that dream they both had; why them and not two other random people? They weren't the least likely to make conversations go even remotely well, at least not since last year. It seemed that something between them had to stop at a barrier, an emotional barrier.

"I wonder what Peeves is going to do," Fred sighed, and everybody grimaced at the name of the Poltergeist haunting the school.

The train ride continued, the seven of them enjoying the cramped space in the compartment; George and Fred had actually decided to sit on the floor, much to everyone's amusement.

It wasn't until they got off the train that they heard the most amusing thing, from Fred and George of course. "Luna can you please scare them?"

Harry silently eavesdropped on the conversation, and he heard the strangest and dreamiest reply from Luna, "Fine, I will do it. But don't blame me; your heads are filled with nargles."

It wasn't until at the feast Harry realized what they meant.

Luna had just finished eating before, she motioned for Fred and George to talk to her, and they whispered excitedly. Luna had pulled the oddest glasses out of her robes; they were mostly scarlet, with a few hints of bright red, and gold. The frames made it look like she had red eyes and the trio smiled evilly as she walked over to the Slytherin table, and tapped Malfoy's shoulder.

Malfoy turned, starting to rant about something, before he gasped as Luna said in a fake Romanian accent. "Hello human, can I please suck your blood? It smells so delicious," at this point Malfoy screamed.

Fred and George did the same thing, laughing maniacally as they scared the first years and the older students just rolled their eyes. Again, just like last year, McGonagall had to calm the first years down, but she didn't issue out detentions.

"You know," Luna sighed loudly, "It isn't like the Slytherins are _scared _of vampires, right? That would just be _absurd_."

Fred and George grinned at each other when she said that, and they charmed all of the Slytherins hair to become scarlet and gold, which caused the whole Hall to laugh, except McGonagall, who was now shouting even louder at the three.

Overall they all had a fun time.

It wasn't until after the feast that Dumbledore dismissed them, saying he would tell them an important announcement tomorrow. Disappointed it wasn't today, almost all of the pack left the table, leaving Ginny and Harry to themselves, much to their complaints.

XXX

"Harry! Really, Harry, aren't you even a little excited?" Ginny asked him the night of the announcement.

"I'm not sure. What is this announcement about anyways?"

"Nobody knows, duh!"

The chatter rose as the feast continued, until Dumbledore spoke, "Ah, yes. Most of you are probably anxious for this announcement," he eyed the pack and the Weasley twins, before continuing, "But fear not. The announcement has arrived.

"The Triwizard Tournament will be hosted here, for the first time in about a century."

A bunch of gasps filled the Great Hall, but none were louder than two sixth years and a third year, "You're joking!"

Harry wondered to himself, what was the Triwizard Tournament as Dumbledore replied, "No I am not, Mr. and Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Lovegood."

The chatter roared higher than usual, a bunch of kids spilling out their confusion, excitement, and hopes. Harry covered his ears from the deafening noise, and saw Ginny doing the same. They grinned at each other for a few minutes, all awkwardness disappearing, until they looked away from each other, and Harry saw Ginny go scarlet.

"Further explanation will be implied on the 31st of October," Dumbledore announced, before adding, "Now off to your dorms."

The pack quickly ran off to the Common Room, along with the Fed and George. And everything seemed perfect, until, "I wonder who's going to be chosen for Hogwarts champion," Ron wondered aloud.

"Yes, well, they will probably have restrictions on who can enter," Hermione replied.

"It would still be nice to be champion," Ron sighed, and Fred and George nodded in agreement.

Harry, however, disagreed, "I don't want to be a champion. It would be great and all, if I was a normal wizard."

"If you weren't Harry Potter," Fred began.

"Or a born animagus," George finished off with a grin.

"Not to mention the whole wizarding world would be shocked and devastated if something happened to you," Luna said, "Goodness knows we would need you if Voldemort would return," everyone except Ginny and Harry winced when she said the name.

"Well good night everyone," Hermione sighed before she went upstairs, Luna following her shortly after.

Their conversation lasted for a few more hours, until it was just Harry and Ginny left. She, however, quickly said good night before rushing upstairs. Harry went upstairs a few minutes after that, too, although he didn't go to sleep just yet.

He was now in his fourth year at Hogwarts. Time had flown by fast. Just three more years, if he lived that long, until he was done with his education; the thought was an unusual thing to think about.

Harry also wondered why everything was now so awkward with Ginny. The two had been great friends, the best of friends, until the Quidditch World Cup. Then all of the sudden, things just got weird. She blushed scarlet whenever she saw him, and he couldn't get a hold of why he wanted to be by her side. It was just plain creepy.

And as he pondered these thoughts, Harry fell into a dreamless sleep.

XXX

The new teacher, Mad-Eye Moody, was quite a strange fellow, in Harry's opinion. He told them to be aware of their surroundings, what was going on, and look out for things that may or may not exist. He was like a very paranoid Luna, it was nerve wracking.

Moody always had a strict way of teaching, too. He would often demand the students to perform their very best, and punished them if they didn't. The Gryffindors couldn't help but feel happy whenever Moody actually took points away from Slytherin, which was more often than not at all. The new DADA professor actually taught a very easy and simple plan to follow, not at all silly or boring, unlike Professor Trelawney or Snape's classes, which in some ways was perfect.

So Harry was busy taking notes in Moody's class, along with Hermione and Ron, and Moody was talking about the three Unforgivable Curses. But there was one particular one Harry paid close attention to. "The Avada Kedavra, or the Killing Curse, is the most deadly spell in the world," he made a dramatic pause before continuing, "Everyone dies when this curse is used on them, except one person."

Everybody turned to look at Harry, and he felt his heart start to speed up. "Yes, the survivor of the Killing Curse is sitting right in this very room," Moody finished, and Harry felt like scowling. The Boy Who Lived didn't want his title at all.

The rest of the day he got occasional glances from the Slytherins and Gryffindors, and it annoyed him. The pack was helpful, though, as they glared back at those glances, making people not look at Harry in awe again.

It had seemed like the month was dragging on, it was only the second week at Hogwarts, which didn't make Harry feel any better. The whole situation with the Triwizard Tournament and the mysterious hosting was confusing for many students, making them stay awake wondering what it was. Harry had found this annoying when they mumbled to themselves thinking about what it could be, and if they could be champions. Who would want to almost die trying to earn eternal fame? Harry of course, already knew what eternal fame was like, and it was not fun. People often stared at him, glared at him, or jumped with joy when they saw him. He didn't want to have another reason to have eternal fame.

But Ron, Fred, and George still dreamed of becoming champions, or earning eternal glory or fame. Harry and Ginny tried to reason with them; Harry because he was the Boy Who Lived, and Ginny because people thought she was extraordinary for becoming an animagus in one year; but to no avail.

Luna had also defended her views of the Triwizard Tournament, saying that it was rubbish that was just for people who wanted to be known in the books. She also said that being known in the books wasn't the best thing, as her father, before his death, was often called a fool. But they hadn't listened to her either.

Hermione didn't really say anything about the topic, but also said it was something she didn't want to see any of the pack die from. Overall, the Triwizard Tournament gave the pack a headache, and a major one at that.

XXX

Ginny sighed as she had to listen to Professor Binns, the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts, drabble on about wizarding history. She hadn't really liked the professor that much in the first place, but he had mentioned her a few times when they talked about animagi, and even more unnerving, he called her Ginerva each time! Sure, Ginerva was her actual name, but it wasn't fun when you had a professor using your name each time you didn't want them to!

As she snapped back into reality, she looked around at her classmates. Luna, who was sitting right next to her, was copying down two sets of notes. Goodness knows Ginny knew why she was doing so, and she was silently happy Luna made a great best friend. But as for the other students, most of them were asleep. A few were off daydreaming, and only another student, who was a Slytherin, was actually taking notes. This surprised her, as Slytherins usually didn't care about history of goblins, but he seemed to.

Ginny paid attention for the rest of class, ignoring the faint scribbling of notes on the Slytherin side of the room. She was determined to pay attention to class, even though Luna, her fellow Gryffindor, was taking notes for her. And she succeeded in paying attention.

By the end of class, it was time for lunch in the Great Hall. The two best friends walked to meet up with the rest of their group of friends, who much to Ginny's own shock had now included George and Fred. The joke at the beginning of term feast wasn't that great, sure, but it showed that Luna was now much more opening to others now. How the Weasley twins inspired her to do so, Ginny had no idea. All she knew was that she got her best friend back over the summer, which she was grateful for.

"I'm not a fan of Professor Moody," Harry sighed as soon as she sat down.

"Why not, I thought he was a good professor," Ginny replied, quite thankful this was one of the few moments when things were not awkward between the two.

She noticed somebody glancing at Harry, a Slytherin fourth year, and she glared at him, while Harry replied; "He told our class about the three Unforgiveable Curses. I think you know what happened."

"It's not like everybody's going to stare at you," Hermione tried to reassure him.

He laughed a cold laugh at that, which scared Ginny slightly. "Those are the older students, the ones taught that I was going to come to school sooner or later."

"I know how you feel," Ginny sighed, and she saw the shock in his face, "Binns keeps on mentioning that I'm a prodigy whenever we talk about animagi."

"Both of you have troubles with fame. It must really suck," Luna giggled as she finally said something, and Ginny noticed that her friend no longer had _the Quibbler_ with her. It pained her to see Luna without it; it felt like something was missing in Luna's personality.

"Tell me about it," Harry and Ginny sighed in unison.

The other three boys, on the other hand, were excitedly chatting about the tournament, much to Ginny and Harry's dismay. "I wish they would stop talking about that. It's starting to get annoying; I mean really, they could be killed!" Hermione mumbled to the rest of her friends.

Luna looked worriedly at George and Fred, and Ginny wondered why. George gave her the same look. . . . No, that was just silly. A silly little thought. But still, it would be the only explanation. Ginny decided she would talk about it to her best friend later, because she really wanted to hear the answer.

The rest of the day seemed to drag by, and Ginny had sensed the urge to just run, like it had been last year. But she couldn't, not with the growing possibilities that Voldemort was going to return. The Quidditch World Cup was proof of that, and that mark in the sky. She remembered Harry, Ron, and Hermione's shocked faces, as well as her own, when they saw it, and when they were almost Stunned. Heck, she even felt bad for Winky, the house elf, which was accused of stealing a wand.

But in the end, that didn't matter. There was only one thing that worried her the most; what if Harry was chosen as a champion? Or Ron; or Fred; or even George; what about Luna or Hermione? Or herself as champion; if one of them was chosen, they could die! Did her idiotic brothers not realize this? Did they not realize they could die in the Tournament?

She, a she-wolf in heart, soul, and even in a form, worried over her pack. It was even funnier that their group decided to name themselves that, ironic even. Ginny knew that the main reason why they named themselves such a name was because that Harry was a born animagus, but it had gotten even more ironic when she became an animagus herself.

Even McGonagall said she was a gifted witch, a prodigy, for her age. Nobody could conjure the spell so perfectly for a first year, in such a short time. It usually took about three years to a decade before somebody could master it, and yet Ginny had mastered it.

Slowly pondering these thoughts, Ginny fell into a deep sleep, but it was anything but peaceful.


	3. Chapter 2: The Goblet

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: Hello again! Thank you for the support and such. It honestly depends on two things for how fast chapters are posted: what type of music I'm listening to and how easily I'm distracted. It's not often that I have a hard time posting a chapter, but sometimes it is. It's usually because the music isn't that great when I'm listening to it. And most of the time, it's going to be in only two POVs, and I'm pretty sure you can guess what they are. If not, just wait for the later chapters. I would also like it if you guys posted more reviews; I would really like to read what you guys think and such.**

_Ginny crossed her arms as she looked at Harry. Why her, of all people? Why a joined dream? Sure, the two of them weren't normal, even in the wizarding world, but why her?_

_ She laughed slightly when she saw James, Harry's father; hex Severus, a greasy black haired kid who mocked Lily and James. She supposed he was a Slytherin, as he wouldn't talk about a muggleborn or a pure blood like that, but she wasn't sure. He definitely wasn't a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff, however. Ravenclaws were a more civilized bunch, keeping to themselves about their opinions, so she knew he wasn't a Ravenclaw. And that left just one option, he was a Slytherin. This Severus was a Slytherin._

_ But soon enough, the dream started to end. She slowly walked away from the scene, aware Harry was probably looking at her. Ginny wasn't going to let him spoil her fun anytime soon that was for sure._

XXX

The 31st rolled around quickly enough, although many of the students would argue it was slow time until the night came. Of course, many students were excited for the day to come, to find out about this special event. The Ravenclaws, Hermione, Harry and Ginny all knew what it was, but they refused to share, hexing anybody who tried to get the information out of them. Ginny only knew because Harry and Hermione had told her, which was Harry's own idea.

So the night of feast, the whole Great Hall was filled with a chatter that was deafening. Many of the students talked about how they wondered if they could be champions or not, and much more. It was driving most of the pack insane at this rate, and Luna had gone to the point where she dozed off into her imagination.

But that had all stopped, however, when Dumbledore started his speech, "So we begin this year with more than just one speech. But alas, no time for that! As many of you know, we are hosting the Triwizard Tournament," Ginny sighed as cheers rose, but Dumbledore continued, "And we would like to introduce the two to other schools first."

Ginny gulped uneasily at that. She knew the other schools; Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, but it didn't help to think of what was going to happen. Three students competing, one of them could die.

"We welcome the Beauxbatons," Dumbledore gestured, and the doors opened, and in walked the Beauxbatons students.

Ginny was slightly amazed by them, but she realized she didn't exactly like their beauty, which was strange. They were clothed in the palest of blue robes, and their hats were teardrop shaped. The headmaster, a humongous woman with tan skin and almost black hair, was in the front, and a seventh year girl followed behind her.

The seventh year girl, roughly seventeen, had pale blonde hair, and she had all of the eyes of the boys, except one in particular. Harry looked on as she walked past him, while Ron gazed at her with startled and wide eyes. Ron muttered to Harry, "She has to be part Veela."

Ginny rolled her eyes. She was slightly surprised that Harry had found no interest in the girl, but then again, Harry wasn't normal. But still, how could he not be swayed? Even the girls looked in awe at the boys, but yet Ginny wasn't swayed either. She looked over to her friends, and saw that Luna simply dismissed the idea of the boys, and vice versa for George. Hermione was slightly awed, but she also dismissed the fact. But for Ginny, the boys didn't even catch her eye.

The Beauxbatons looked around, trying to decide where to sit, and they decided on Ravenclaw, although they did not sit down. Once their Headmaster sat down, however, so did the students.

Dumbledore, after he had greeted Olympe Maxime, he introduced the next school, "And of course, we also welcome the Durmstrang students," he said kindly.

Ginny watched as the students walked in, following their Headmaster. She was slightly surprised that Viktor Krum, a Seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch team, was still in school. She had slightly thought he could've been, but it wasn't that big of a thing in her mind.

The Durmstrang students sat down at the Slytherin table, and as soon as they did and their Headmaster was welcomed, Dumbledore cheerfully said, "Tuck in!"

The gold plates quickly filled with food, and everybody grabbed quite a bit. There was also plenty of new food, some of it French, and some of it Ginny couldn't even recognize what it was.

She saw Harry piling quite a bit of meat onto his plate; steak, chicken, turkey, and even a little bit of beef stew. Ginny didn't pile as much, but it was still more than average.

But soon enough, the feast was finished, and Dumbledore began his speech, "As many of you know, Hogwarts Castle is hosting the Triwizards Tournament. The event used to be done every few years, but due to the extremely high death toll," some students looked alarmed as he said that, "The event was stopped. But we have decided to restart this event. Although there will be some new restrictions.

"There will now be an age limit to the event," people started to complain, but Dumbledore silenced them, "Only students seventeen and older from each school can compete. Furthermore, to prevent students who are younger than the given age, will find they are unable to submit their names, as there will be an age line.

"To submit your name, one must put their name in the Goblet of Fire," Dumbledore finished, pointing his wand at a box-like case right next to him.

The case shimmered away, and revealed a huge goblet, decorated in blue and silver. "You have two days until the deadline is up and names are chosen. On Thursday November 2nd, we will choose the three champions, one from each school. You are now dismissed."

Harry and Ginny escaped the Great Hall before anyone else did, not wanting to hear the uproar of chatter. They got a few curious looks, but they didn't want their eardrums to burst. Nobody except the Weasleys, the Hogwarts professors, the pack, and Sirius knew what Harry was. And he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible, as far as Ginny knew.

They got into the Common Room before anybody else, and collapsed into two of the armchairs near the fire, panting. "Well that's going to be fun," Harry muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Three people, any of them or all of them could die. And people are going to rooting for that event. It's twisted."

Ginny nodded in agreement. She brushed away the fact that she seemed pulled to him, but the awkwardness didn't return this time. She silently wondered why.

All of the sudden, the portrait hole swung open, and in came the rest of the Gryffindors, with the seventh years chatting excitedly. Ginny heard Fred and George sigh out loud, "Too bad our birthday is next April."

The next few hours were relaxing, and the pack was joined by many Gryffindors talking about the Triwizards Tournament. But it wasn't until past midnight that it was just Harry and Ginny again, but yet it still wasn't awkward, like a burden had been lifted right off her shoulders.

"Who do you think are going to be the champions?" Ginny asked.

Harry replied slowly, "I think Cedric Diggory has a chance, and of course Viktor Krum is more than likely. But for the Beauxbatons I have no idea. Maybe that Veela girl, but it could be that boy who was right behind her."

She had to agree with him. Those three were more than likely candidates, but the boy from Beauxbatons was just as likely. It unnerved her that they thought so much alike.

XXX

The next two days had passed by slowly. Fleur Delacour, the Veela girl, had put her name in the Goblet, so had the other Beauxbatons. Viktor Krum, of course, had put his name in. Even Cedric Diggory had. Numerous students had also put their names in, but Harry already had a good idea about who it was going to be for each school.

Fred and George had also tried to put their names in the Goblet, but had no success. Dumbledore had seemed quite amused at the idea of the Weasley twins sporting white beards, but he had only said an amusing comment while everybody laughed. Even Hermione had laughed, although Luna just smiled at them.

Harry, however, was one of the few that had to hold onto a wall for support, just like Ginny and Ron.

But soon enough, however, the night of the picking had arrived. Many students were talking excitedly, wondering which one of the seventh years, or themselves, would be chosen for their school. Fred and George had returned from the hospital wing already, and they were talking about how one of the Gryffindors Harry didn't know could be a likely champion.

The nightly dinner was excellent; Harry got to try out new foods from France and Norway he didn't even know existed, and all of them were particularly delicious. He saw his friends also choosing out some interesting exotic choices, but Ginny and Luna seemed more willing to try them then the others.

But an unsettling feeling had come over Harry, and he didn't know why. It seemed like something big was going to happen, but he knew what it was. The champions for the Triwizard Tournament! Although, that didn't seem to be the case; even his scar hurt slightly, it prickled for the entire time.

But when the last of the glorious desserts had vanished off their plates or had been eaten, the entire Great Hall became silent. Some of the seventh years had looks of hope, some of dread, and some of expectations, just like the younger students. And then Dumbledore started yet another speech, "Ah yes, the grand moment has arrived. The moment when we choose the champions; only three will be chosen, each one shall compete for eternal glory," Harry and Ginny shot worried looks at each other suddenly as he said this, "For both themselves and their school. So without further ado, I think the Goblet of Fire is ready to make its choice.

"When it chooses each champion, they will go into the back room," he pointed to the black door, "And wait for further instructions."

As soon as he finished, the blue fire in the Goblet turned red and a piece of parchment was spit out of it. Dumbledore caught the fluttering and burnt thing before he said, "Fleur Delacour, for Beauxbatons!"

Fleur grinned at her friends, even the Hogwarts students, before shaking Bagman and Crouch's hands, even the three Headmasters', before going into the room behind the door.

The Beauxbatons students cheered loudly, and so did the Ravenclaws. Apparently, the two groups had become great friends.

The fire in the Goblet turned blue for a few minutes, before turning red and spewing out another name. Dumbledore again caught the parchment before shouting out, "Viktor Krum, for Durmstrang Institute!"

Cheers erupted from all over the Great Hall, causing Harry to cover his ears again. The cheers soon died out, however, shortly after Krum also disappeared behind the black door.

However, the Goblet was now taking its own time. The flames would turn gold, then maroon, and then finally back to blue. This went on for several minutes, and a few students started to whisper amongst each other. What was going on?

But the fire in the Goblet finally turned red, but it didn't just throw out one piece of parchment, it put out two. One was neatly scribbled on, Harry saw, while the other one had a scrawl on it that he couldn't make out very well. Dumbledore quickly grabbed both, and his face seemed to pale. He reread the parchments before he spoke, "Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter."

The four houses gasped. Two for one school, that couldn't be possible!

Cedric Diggory rose, and looked over at Harry, with a sympathetic look as the fourteen year old boy rose shakily. The two of them quickly shook the hands of Bagman, Crouch, and the Headmasters' before going behind the door. But before he did, he caught the looks of the pack. They all looked concerned, but none of them looked more concerned than Ginny; it looked like she wanted to chase after him. And for some odd reason, he wanted to run right back to her side.

But as the two walked, Cedric began talking, "How did you do it?"

"I didn't put my name in the Goblet, if that's what you're wondering. I don't need the money or the fame."

"Thought you might've wanted it for the girl," Cedric laughed sadly.

Harry's head snapped up, looking at him with shock. "You don't see how you look at that redhead."

Could he be? No, that couldn't be possible, could it?

XXX

Whispers ran amuck in the Great Hall. All the Gryffindors looked worried, the Ravenclaws shocked and worried, the Hufflepuffs shocked and sympathetic, and a few Slytherins looked worried, although most looked shocked with grim smiles.

"He didn't put his name in the Goblet!" Ginny gasped, causing her friends to jump in surprise.

"Of course he didn't."

"How could he?"

"Ginny, are you okay?"

"Ginny?"

The thirteen year old girl shook her head, feeling like a part of her was missing. Harry! He had been chosen! Everybody knew he didn't want to be chosen, that could be the only thing that saved him from the wraths of others. Heck, the few Slytherins who were more modern were also shocked. Who wouldn't be? Everybody was worried for the Boy Who Lived, although Ginny refused to call him that.

The three Headmasters, Crouch, and Bagman disappeared behind the ominous door, but suddenly, Ginny was seeing two things at once.

"_Harry did you put your name in the Goblet?" McGonagall asked; her voice filled with worry._

_ "Of course not, Professor," Harry replied._

_ "'E must be lying!" scoffed Madam Maxime, "A child would want the fame of course!"_

_ McGonagall spoke up next, her voice filled with pure anger, "He doesn't want the fame, Ms. Maxime."_

_ "I don't," Harry sighed._

_ "We 'ave to get 'im out of the competition; a boy must not compete!" Fleur cried sympathetically, although Harry reddened slightly._

_ "I'm afraid that cannot happen, Ms. Delacour," Bagman spoke up, "The Goblet binds a champion to the game. Mr. Potter must compete in the Tournament, no matter how much he doesn't want to."_

_"He's right," Crouch spoke up, no smile on his lips, unlike Bagman, "Mr. Potter must compete. It's not up to us; the spell has bound all four of you to the Triwizard Tournament."_

Ginny felt the brush go away, although she found it strange. She saw the whole thing through Harry's eyes! Her friends weren't really paying attention to her now; they were all caught up in the conversation about how Harry could've been entered in the contest in the first place.

But Ginny knew something they didn't; Harry was bound to the game. He couldn't drop out, even though he could die! She didn't want to see Harry die! But what could she do about it? Nothing, nothing at all; and that's what hurt. If he died, she couldn't do anything about it. Oh how the binds of fate's novel were evil and twisted.

Shortly after, the rest of the students, visiting or not, went to their dorms or sleeping arrangements. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws chatted excitedly about the Tournament, and the advantage Hogwarts now had in winning. But Ginny didn't care about that; she needed to see her friend.

She sat there, in an armchair right next to the fire, as the other Gryffindors wandered up to their dormitories. She sat there as the fire crackled and spitted hot ashes. She sat there right when the portrait hole opened.

"We need to talk," was all she said to a, certain back haired and green eyed boy as he stepped into the Common Room.


	4. Chapter 3: Twisted

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: Cliffhanger, probably most of you were expecting the wrong thing! I would like to thank all of you for the support (again) and such. It really means a lot to me. Sorry for the slow update, I've been having a very busy week, and I can't get it all done in one day. It's been exhausting lately, but I'm back with another chapter!**

"Hello to you to Ginny."

"Hello."

They talked slightly about the Tournament, but that was it. He didn't want to share with her what had happened, how he had seen the Great Hall, and Ginny crying like crazy, so he kept it to himself, but that was it. After a few moments, he went upstairs to go to bed, considered that the whole idea of it was just a silly little thought that had taken over his mind. And he definitely was not in love with her, was he? He was too young! She was thirteen, he was fourteen! Were people blind? Harry convinced himself that they were. He liked her as a friend, nothing more. That much, he was almost sure of. There was just a nagging voice in the back of his mind he had to ignore, and he did so gladly.

XXX

The next week was much better for Harry. A few of the neutral Slytherins told him that they knew he didn't want to compete, and he saw them telling off other students for glaring at him. Anybody who asked Harry, however, had just received a nice smile and he told them that he didn't want to, and most of them believe him.

It wasn't until a week after the selections in Potions that Colin Creevey, a third year, burst into the room, panting, before he said, "Professor Dumbledore wants to see Mr. Potter, sir."

Snape glared at the thirteen year old boy, then at Harry, before replying, "Fine then."

Harry looked at his friends; Ron, Hermione, and Neville, and left when they gave him a quick nod. This was certainly unusual. Why did Dumbledore want to see him? But Colin was already explaining that it was for a 'photo-shoot' of the sorts. Harry knew this was not going to be a fun time.

And it really wasn't. Mr. Ollivander had weighed their wands, making a few remarks about Fleur's, since her wand's core was veela hair. Ollivander was impressed by Viktor's wand, and Cedric's, but he was even more impressed by Harry's, saying that he remembered its twin. The whole room had gone quiet at this, although a woman came up to him shortly after.

"Hello Mr. Potter! My name is Rita Skeeter, would you mind if I interviewed you?" the woman gushed, her green nails already taking out an odd looking quill.

"I'm afraid I'm not doing any personal interviews, Miss Skeeter. I don't care for my name to be insulted. If you want an interview, do it as a group for the champions," he snarled in reply, causing the woman to look at him in shock.

He thought he heard a few chuckles from the other champions, although he wasn't finished yet. "And to add on, I don't accept interviews anyways. I find it rude for others to not have their turn to talk while I am in the limelight." And with that, Harry walked out of the room, for the pictures were done.

The next few days were followed by many whispers in the Great Hall. It was reported Rita Skeeter had had a breakdown, and was currently being treated for depression. Although, the pack knew Harry had something to do with it. In fact, they knew everything. They had laughed with him when they realized that Skeeter wasn't going to be posting anything in the wizard newspaper, _The Daily Prophet, _anytime soon.

The entire school was bursting with joy about the first event, although it wouldn't take place until late November. Many of them wondered what the event even was. The three other champions seemed to be slightly nervous, but nothing they could handle. Harry, however, seemed to be at a crossroads. He was very nervous, but also laid back and calm as the date was slowly approaching.

The pack had mixed emotions; Ron was excited, Hermione and Ginny were worried; Fred, George, and Luna didn't really say anything on the matter, though. They were busy trying to decide their next prank.

Many of the Slytherins that believed in blood purity had said Cedric was the only champion, although most of them whacked the ones who did with whatever they could find. Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle had all said Harry didn't deserve to be treated like royalty, although Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, and other students were unusually quiet about the subject. Greengrass had always been quiet about the subject, since her sister Astoria was a Ravenclaw, but Malfoy seemed to stop his insulting comments.

The classes were exhausting to most students, while Harry and his friends had ease, knowing that they had studied very well, and had helped each other out with homework. All in all, though, everybody was excited for the weekend, except for NEWT and OWL students, whom most were already studying. But, most of the students were outside. One nice thing about being a champion, Harry learned, was that he had no yearend exams at all.

The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students were warming up to the Hogwarts students, slowly. Many of the young girls from the Beauxbatons were giggling and talking to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first and second years. The Durmstrang boys and girls talked to mostly the Slytherins, although a few of them talked with the Ravenclaws. But for the rest of the students, well most of them took to their own school.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione found themselves under the humungous tree by the lake. The shady area provided a comfortable cool breeze on the unusually hot day.

"I wonder what's going to be the first event," Ron sighed aloud.

"I already know what it is."

"How," exclaimed Hermione in shock.

The black haired boy shrugged, before answering, "I felt them, the dragons. I don't know how, or why. I don't think I want to know why."

The four of them then jumped into a discussion about how this could be possible and what the first event was. The conversation seemed to go on for quite a bit, because it was time for dinner by the end of the discussion. The only thing that had given them warning was the hunger in their stomachs, and they all quickly left for the Great Hall.

The four of them slunk into their usual seats as soon as they came into the Great Hall; Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Luna on one side of the table and Hermione, Fred and George on the other; the pack soon began talking about the first event. Fred and George had suggested that he use something like his Firebolt to win the competition. They had all agreed that was a very good idea, since Harry didn't want anybody else to know about his animagus status.

"I want to keep it hidden for a little while longer," Harry had replied when asked, "It could be an advantage if Voldemort," Ron was the only one who winced, "Ever attacks. It's a key that he doesn't know I have."

"I shouldn't have registered. It also could've been an advantage," Ginny chimed in.

"Yes, but I think we could still use it as an advantage," Luna replied to both of them, before adding, "The two of you could probably rival most wizards in battle, if you worked together."

"How so Luna," Ron asked.

"Well, look at it this way. If they work together, they have the hidden advantage of their animagus forms. Most wizards don't have that advantage, plus you two are great at Charms and DADA. Not to mention Transfiguration. The two of you could beat anybody, if you worked together."

"Even Dumbledore," Hermione asked incredulously.

"Probably," Luna smiled.

The pack slowly went back to the Gryffindor Common Room shortly after dinner, still chatting and discussing the first event and animagi.

XXX

The next day was a bitter Sunday; cold and strong winded. Icy blasts ran throughout the nearly empty corridors, causing many students to shiver when they passed through them. Few people didn't complain about the cold, but instead, caused havoc. It was just one of those days that you would find the pack causing mayhem, although Hermione was inside the library, saying she didn't want to get a detention or two.

Luna had charmed Harry's clothes so he would transform in and out of them for the entire day, before the six of them began the pranks. They had caused the most unusual sight; two wolves, one black and one strawberry blonde, running in and out of classrooms, snarling viciously at the other four. They had scared quite a few students, claiming they had seen The Grim, although Sirius' animagus form looked more like the Grim than Harry's.

Harry had thought it funny to imagine what the Marauderswould think of this prank. They had gotten ten points taken away from Gryffindor, so it wasn't really a big deal. He had caught a few people wondering who the black wolf was, thinking he was an animagus. Although, when they turned back, it was in an empty classroom.

When they had gotten to Lunch, they had found Hermione at the usual Gryffindor area, studying carefully. Even though none of them had any O.W.L.S or N.E.W.T.S this year, she was still studying. However, on closer inspection, Harry had seen she was reading about different types of dragons, trying to weigh out the possibilities of each dragon's chances for the upcoming task.

"I think I've found a few; the Chinese Fireball, Hungarian Horntail, the Swedish Short-Snout, and the Common Welsh Green dragon. Although, I don't know why anybody would use the Horntail, it's considered the most dangerous dragon species in the wizarding world," Hermione closed the book she was studying from, sighing.

"Why would anybody use a Hungarian Horntail?" Luna exclaimed.

"Because, I suspect it's for show, to amaze us."

"That's just cruel, though!" Ginny replied, flushing scarlet as she said the words.

Harry, Ron, Fred and George all nodded in agreement. But Harry already knew which one he was going to get, the Hungarian Horntail, it seemed so likely. Fate is very twisted indeed.

After Lunch, the pack had all rallied together and had gone off to explore Hogwarts Castle. Harry felt very thankful that Fred and George had given him the Marauder's Map, as now they couldn't get lost. The pack discovered many new things, while hexing a few blood purist Slytherins along the way; while the neutral ones laughed at the sight of Pansy Parkinson now sporting scarlet and gold hair and a forked tongue.

They pranced about the hallways, laughing as they went. The day had seemed so magical and humorous, that they were all slightly disappointed by the time it ended.

XXX

Ginny sighed, before wolfing down her eggs and rushing off to class. Mondays were never her best day of the week. But it helped out a little to have her best subject, Transfiguration first. She was always the best in class.

Today they were learning how to transfigure mice into quills, although Ginny had already perfected that, sadly. She didn't like being at the top of the class that much; it caused stares to happen whenever she completed a task earlier than normal. It wasn't her fault she just seemed to be gifted in Transfiguration, Charms, and DADA, was it?

So Ginny was transfiguring a pillow into a cat. Luna had just managed to transfigure the mouse she was handling into a beautiful silver quill, a grin coming onto her face. "Finally finished," Luna sighed happily.

"Nice. Now you have to transfigure a pinecone into a candle," Ginny replied, which caused Luna to wince slightly.

And McGonagall did come over and give Luna a pinecone. She then began practicing, having little success. Ginny, on the other hand, had just completed the transfiguring, and everyone heard a loud mew from the table. There was just a few minutes left of class, so McGonagall assigned homework.

Luna and Ginny slowly walked out of class after that, talking about the difficulties of transfiguring larger objects. When they had entered the Great Hall, they had quickly sat down right next to their other friends, and the conversation started up immediately.

"Hey Ginny, hey Luna," came the cheerful replies from the other pack members.

"How was Transfiguration?"

Ginny shrugged at Harry's question. He knew it wasn't difficult for her to actually perform magic like that, so why did he have to ask? "It wasn't that hard," Luna smiled dreamily, a rare occasion.

"What should we do next?" George wondered aloud, and Luna was then lost in planning the next prank attack on the Slytherins or Filch, Hogwarts caretaker.

"Are you done using 'vis, Mademoiselle?" a Beauxbatons boy came up to Ginny, looking at her.

"Sure." Ginny replied, before handing him the bowl of a soup she did not know the name of.

He smiled at her, before leaving. Luna had looked up just then, and she scoffed, before going back to planning. She clearly saw something that Ginny did not.

The pack chatted away through the lunch, before they had to go back to their classes. Luna and Ginny both went separate ways, since Luna took Divination and Ginny took Runes. She had stopped in front of Trelawney once, and the small woman had said that Ginny was only one part of a soul. She had laughed at the idea; the Divination teacher was very befuddled, according to Harry and Ron.

Ancient Runes was quite an unusual class. The studying was rather intense, but a good bit of magic was learned along the way. Not as many students took Runes, so Ginny was in a class of both Slytherins and Ravenclaws. She was one of the few Gryffindors to actually take the class, but never the less; she knew what she was doing.

Reading a book, in Ginny's opinion, was much better than looking through a glass sphere that was supposed to tell the future. In Runes, you could see the absolute logic in it, while in Divination nothing was absolute.

Trying to concentrate on her textbook, Ginny slowly reread the passage she had just skimmed over. She luckily succeeded, and the next few passages were quite easy, and she took notes on her piece of parchment carefully.

The next hour and a half went by slowly, it seemed, as Ginny's thoughts occasionally wandered. She thought of various subjects, although none of them interested her that much. She was more curious of how Harry was going to win the first task. He would have to fight a dragon! Not to mention that dragons were vicious creatures. And for some odd reason, Ginny was more worried than she would usually be, but she brushed away the fact.

When the class was finally over and homework was assigned, Ginny left for class, and found Luna. The two walked to their next class, History, discussing about how boring it was to hear about all of the Goblin Wars. Truth be told, they were quite right to expect Professor Binns to discuss the dreaded topic.

Ginny was even more careful to take notes this time, as Binns' monotonous speech bore into everyone's minds. Of course, Ginny had to focus even harder when listening to his speech on a Goblin War.

By the time the next class was over, it was time for dinner, much to Ginny's pleasure. She was feeling rather ravenous, and was eager to get a good meal. Again, the two best friends walked into the Great Hall, although Luna went back to planning while Ginny helped herself politely to various amounts of food.

The other three of the pack members that were not planning anything talked to Ginny and themselves, trying to decide tactics. Since Harry was only allowed a wand, they had come up with plenty of ideas. Harry had stated that he did not want to use his wolf form at any costs, so they were still trying to decide if he could use his great agility and strength, or summon his broom with the Summoning Charm.

XXX

The top of the bed's ceiling was a rather boring scene; the blood red and redwood patterns were something she had gotten used to, but she still found them boring. She didn't want to talk to Luna, though, as she knew that she would only ask about the nightmares Ginny had been having.

So she closed off the curtains, indicating she wanted to be alone and just stared at the bed's ceiling. It wasn't much fun doing this, although, talking with Luna was enjoyable. But Ginny needed to not let her friend know, this was something that was affecting her and her only. Ginny had to solve this problem on her own.

But how could you solve a problem that you don't know exists? The twisted fate of where Ginny's third year was leading was very mysterious, something she didn't like well. She liked mysterious things, but the dreams were not fun. Nightmares, the more proper term; because they would all start out the same. The crying of when she saw the diary's evil doings, but then it would change into something strange; this was when the nightmares would begin. She had seen Harry's parents and himself, and three other boys who were Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail. James was Prongs and Lily was just Lily-flower.

These dreams were very twisted indeed. Because when Ginny woke up, she was often wrapped in a confusing twist of blankets, and she would have salty tears on her cheeks. Cold sweat would also appear, making her bed extremely cold. It was dreadful, having these dreams.

Ginny closed her eyes, hoping that the night's sleep would be more peaceful this time, and she slowly went into another terrible dream a few hours later.


	5. Chapter 4: Hope

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: Hello again! Another friendly A/N; I think I've already said this a billion times, but thanks for the support and such! This is a very serious chapter, although it may not seem like it. I think this one discusses a few things most people wouldn't get; but I caution you, this story is rated T for a reason. There are some references to abuse in this chapter. I still caution you, though. This is a very sad chapter, in a way. Again, I tell you to read with caution. It reveals a lot of what actually went on before Midnight Fur began. This is a mostly Ginny POV chapter; I couldn't stop using her POV. . . .**

Ginny shivered, even though she was next to the fire. It was just another sleepless night, although being an animagus had its advantages. One was that you didn't need to sleep as often, although Ginny still didn't like losing so many hours of sleep.

She shivered again, rocking in the armchair she sat in. She stared into the fire, wishing that she had just gone back to bed. Anything would be better than those nightmares, though.

She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and she sank into the armchair, not wanting to be seen in such a mess. She rarely cried, but it was one of those moments that she did, which wasn't very pleasant. But Ginny knew that the fire was an obvious sign that somebody was awake in the Common Room.

Luckily, she had grabbed her blanket, and pulled it up, needing the extra warmth. Whoever it was seemed to notice this, as they asked, "Hello?"

It was Harry. Harry Potter. Ginny silently cursed herself as she didn't speak a single word. The green eyed boy sat in an armchair, before he saw her, and a look of surprise came on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Ginny shrugged. Did she really know? It was one of those things that had always been asked nowadays. Was she okay?

"Just a bad dream," she muttered under her breath.

Harry nodded. "I get those a lot."

"That must be awful."

"It depends. I'm lucky that they're just dreams. Witnessing them is much worse," he smiled weakly, and Ginny mentally shuddered at the tone of sadness in his voice.

"Witnessing?"

The boy turned red slightly before answering, "Vernon wasn't very kind to me, unlike Aunt Petunia."

What was he saying? Surely not! It couldn't be! Harry seemed to read her expression very clearly, because he said, "You're guessing right. Petunia couldn't protect me from everything. It's because of her I'm not dead."

"Petunia must miss you then."

Harry shrugged. "I gave her the very thing she missed, being normal, back. Just because I left, I offered her a life without purgatory. It's the least I could do."

An eerie silence fell upon them, each looking into the fireplace, where the embers blazed with an orange and yellow light. "I'm guessing that you're wondering what happened to me while there. Serious to minor injuries, a few broken ribs and partially fractured shoulder; those all healed though."

"He would've killed you?"

"If he was allowed to, Petunia convinced him it was a stupid idea."

"That's horrible!"

"It happened."

"Harry, you should talk to McGonagall about that!"

He shook his head, "If she knew, Petunia would also be arrested; she had been forced to give me a few scars. I can't allow that, she's innocent."

How many horrors had the young Potter witnessed, or had been forced to endure? "I had no idea it was that bad. The only thing I can relate to is the bad dreams," Ginny replied.

She talked with Harry carefully, although she did not want to lie so much, she had to. What would she do if he found out?

XXX

"Ginny, are you okay?" Luna asked her best friend as Ginny snapped out of her dreamlike trance.

"I'm fine," Ginny muttered, although it was clearly a lie.

Ginny was far beyond fine. She had an ache in her chest, like she missing something important. Not to mention she had heard Harry had been hurt so badly while he was at the Dursleys!

But the ache wasn't like a dull ache; it was full blast, like something was trying to escape, but couldn't. It dulled slightly at Breakfast and Lunch, but it returned to full blast afterwards. What was wrong with her?

"Are you sure?" Luna bit her lip as she watched Ginny look up at her with tired and sorrowful eyes.

"Yes," she tried to sound happy, but it came out grim and monotonous.

The day was almost over, another Friday coming to an end. Ever since that night, the pain in her chest had become apparent. Harry even seemed to be depressed, but she didn't know since she couldn't feel anything except the ache, and the depressing feeling that had washed over her. The pack had exchanged worried glances, although the two seemed to sit right next to one another, like always.

Dinner had come, although Ginny wasn't remotely hungry. She forced herself to eat something, and she only ate a very small piece of pie for dessert. She felt sick to her stomach in a way. Although, the whole pack had noticed how little she had eaten, well almost all of them.

Luna and George exchanged a very worried glance, Ginny noted, as she tried to look better than she felt. What was with those two? They were always exchanging glances like that; worried or not, it was weird, like they were having a conversation in their minds.

Was something missing? What could be missing? Ginny ran over in her mind choices of what could be missing, but nothing came to her. The aching increased, causing Ginny to wince mentally.

Getting up from the table, much to her friend's shock, she left the Great Hall, wanting to escape the horrible thoughts. But she couldn't. Something was missing. Something was wrong.

XXX

_A flash of green light flashed in Ginny's mind, along with a man cackling loudly. Ginny turned around from looking at the doorway, but whatever was there before wasn't there now. In its place was a destroyed house, or partially destroyed. The house looked worn and old. She knew the house was in disrepair._

_ She realized somebody was standing right next to her, and that the aching was gone. Getting out her wand, she turned to face whoever was standing right next to her. It wasn't somebody she expected at all. It was Harry, and a look of shock was upon his face._

_ "So this is my old home?" he whispered, looking at the broken house._

_ "I suppose so," Ginny replied, and he jumped in shock._

_ "The last of the memories," he sighed, shaking his head after he had said a quiet 'hello' to her._

_ "Those were memories?"_

_ "Either that or I'm crazy," he joked, and they both laughed._

_ "I wonder where we're at."_

_ "Godric's Hollow?"_

_ "Maybe, but I don't know. It doesn't seem familiar."_

_ And then everything went black._

Ginny woke with a start, almost screaming in shock. It was the same as every other dream's aftermath. A wave of calmness spread over her, and she got up shaking, walking towards the door to the stairs. This wasn't a normal aftermath now.

She was able to walk down the stairs and collapse onto the nearest seat, which turned out to be the couch. Luckily, she had seen a blanket, so she grabbed it and pulled it closer, not wanting to even bother with anything else.

XXX

"Ginny! Ginny wake up!" a familiar voice came and somebody shook her.

She started. Ginny jolted into a sitting position, and realized she didn't have her wand. "Ginny? It's okay, it's me," the voice came again, and she became relieved it was only Harry.

"What time is it?" Ginny asked him once she regained the ability to speak; it seemed so dark inside the Common Room.

He bit his lip before replying, "Three in the morning. I heard somebody coming down here an hour ago, it must have been you."

She nodded slowly, although she became dizzy when she did so. "I just had a bad dream."

"Are you sure? You don't look well."

"Neither do you," she pointed out, and he rolled his eyes.

Harry sat down right next to her, and she suddenly wondered why the aching in her chest was gone. It was a silly thought, but still. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked Ginny, and she nodded.

"Not as bad as usual," she lied thickly.

"You're lying."

She didn't reply to this accusation. "Ginny, what were you dreaming about?"

Taken aback by this question, Ginny answered as best as she could, "I first dreamed of the diary," Harry looked outraged at the effects of her first year, "And then the scene changed. There was a flash of green light," she couldn't make herself stop now, "And when I turned around to see what it was, I was staring at a house in disrepair."

Tears tried to fight from Ginny's eyes, but she held them there. Why did she say that? It was like she didn't even mean to but she did! Pulling her legs to her chest, Ginny rocked back and forth slightly.

"Ginny?" there was obvious fear in Harry's voice.

"I'm fine," she whispered, trying to stop the reflex to start crying, but the tears poured out.

"No you're not."

Ginny ignored that comment. "I did that a lot," Harry sighed, shaking his head at her behavior. "It's okay, you're okay," he continued on to say.

Gradually, she came out of the position, but she was still in tears. Was there any hope to her at the moment? Any bit of kindness? Well, she couldn't say that. Harry was showing a nice display of kindness. It was comforting, and the tears slowly stopped.

XXX

"Thanks Harry," Ginny smiled at him weakly.

When he had first come down here, he had been shocked. She had been laying on the couch, crying in her sleep. She had looked beyond frail, almost broken. It had taken him five minutes to wake her up, and soon after she had gone into tears. That wasn't normal for her.

But when he had sat right next to her, the aching in his chest had gone away. Why was the ache there in the first place? Harry had no idea. And he wasn't expecting to have a good idea of why. It was probably just some kind of minor cold, nothing more.

He had asked her numerous times in the exchange if she was okay, and he knew she had lied when she said she was. Ginny definitely wasn't fine if she was crying, although he didn't push her limits. Although one thing had surprised him, she had had the same dream he had! That wasn't normal at all.

But when Ginny had pulled her legs to her chest, it sadly reminded Harry of the Dursleys and what had happened during his time there. He was lucky Madam Pomfrey had made those scars vanish.

"No problem, Ginny," he smiled back, hoping that she was now happier.

She looked tired, exhausted. "I'm not tired," although when she said this, he could tell she was convincing herself.

"Do you think you can get anymore sleep tonight?" Harry asked her, concerned.

"No," she shook her head, "I don't want to go back to sleep."

"You need the sleep though."

"I can't go back to sleep."

Harry gulped down back his retort. He couldn't even say the retort. Her behavior was truly scaring him. Reminders of the past flooded into him, although he ignored the urge to wince.

Grabbing the blanket on the floor, Harry gave it to Ginny. She seemed surprised at this, but he knew she was cold. "Thanks," she muttered.

"This is déjà vu."

She laughed. Ginny was much easier to be around than anybody else in the pack. Harry silently wondered why. But that didn't matter. Ginny was depressed. So he did one thing nobody would expect. He talked to her, about everything. He didn't know why; he just had to. He told her of the scars that Pomfrey had healed; the dreams of his parents. He told her of the broken bones and the concussions he had had; the adventures he had had when he had escaped the Dursleys for a few hours. Harry told her everything, much to his own shock. But he had to admit it, because it was like a gnawing thing inside of him. He hadn't told anyone except her. And she deserved to know.

She was a good listener; she was quiet until the very end. And when he was finished, she remained quiet for a few minutes. Although he could tell the thoughts she was having. Ginny was more than likely wondering how a person could do such a thing to a child.

There was hope now, though. There was proof of that. But what was the proof? That still remained a mystery, although Harry knew it was there. "No child deserves that," Ginny finally said, her voice cracking.

"You have no idea," Harry replied with a chuckle.

"Did you ever think about running away?"

"I couldn't. I couldn't let him win."

"Harry! Don't you ever say that again! You were letting him win!"

XXX

Ginny stared at him in disbelief. How was letting somebody torturing you not letting them win? She thought about smacking him, but she couldn't. She could do it to Ron, but not to Harry. Why couldn't she?

There was something about their friendship. Except it wasn't friendship, not exactly. The shock slowly settled in. "Ginny, are you okay?" Harry asked her for the billionth time that night.

"I'm fine," she answered.

"Well this time it isn't a lie."

Ginny giggled slightly. "I don't lie often."

He smirked. Although she could tell he had a troubled past, more than troubled, he was always smiling when they talked. "You don't," he admitted.

"Now what time is it?"

"About five in the morning," he answered truthfully, which shocked Ginny. That much time had past?

"Wow," was all she could say.

"And you're not even tired."

"You aren't either," Ginny pointed out.

"I've gone weeks without sleep before."

"Well that's unhealthy."

He laughed, which caused Ginny to laugh too. "Students will be coming down soon."

"You mean housemates."

"Whichever works," he replied.

"Well then," she sighed, before getting up. "See you in about five minutes!" she laughed.

In truth, it really did only take her five minutes, before she arrived back downstairs to resume their conversation. They talked for a few for minutes, until he had a mischievous look in his eyes.


	6. Chapter 5: Deadline

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: Cliffhanger alert! I'm very sorry about doing that, but I couldn't help myself! The chapter was going to get longer, so I had to cut it short. Thank you for the support and such, while I can get in here! I will admit I didn't expect it to get so long. Long in the sense that I focused on mainly one entire part. But hopefully that can continue!**

To put it simply, he kissed her. Ginny hadn't even gotten over the shock yet. He had kissed her! Why? A billion thoughts buzzed around Ginny's mind, making her sigh. It wasn't like him to be so open towards things. Although, the incident had explained all of his thoughts towards her!

It wasn't long after that Gryffindors began coming downstairs. But Harry and Ginny had just gone on right to breakfast, not wanting questions to be raised yet. Although, it wasn't until an hour later that the rest of the pack had started to come down. Hermione had nearly jumped in shock when she saw the two already halfway finished with their breakfast. She had looked between the two carefully, but evidently found nothing, so she helped herself to a piece of toast.

The rest of the pack had come down shortly after, and all of them were also surprised. Harry and Ginny were usually one of the last people, and lately they had been very depressed. But now, they were happy and having an interesting conversation about Quidditch. Ginny had mentally laughed at how Ron had gaped at them, his eyes wide.

It was a cold Saturday, two weeks before the First Task. Many students were expecting something grandeur, although dangerous too. They didn't realize just how dangerous it was. Harry knew that Cedric more than likely didn't know about the dragons, but Harry had decided not to tell him. He hadn't made a very good impression when they had talked when they had both been picked.

The pack had chatted throughout breakfast, and soon they were all finished. Although, Luna and the Weasley twins had gone off to plant more pranks, which left the rest of the group alone; and Hermione wanted to go to the library. Ron had agreed, saying that he needed to look up a few topics on DADA. Harry and Ginny had declined, since all of their homework was finished and they didn't want to research any topics.

So Harry and Ginny went off to explore yet again; while Ron and Hermione had gone off to the library.

The two of them explored for about half an hour, before they had gotten bored. There was no Quidditch to practice for, so they had decided to go outside. The first snow of the season was starting to fall; so many kids were also outside.

Fred, George, and Luna were outside, Harry and Ginny discovered, and they were hexing many blood purists. Although, Malfoy was inside, so he wasn't hexed. Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't so lucky.

The two of them spent the rest of the morning near the Lake, talking about various topics and watching Slytherins running from three overly excited Gryffindors. When Lunch came around, everybody started to head back inside, luckily for some.

Harry and Ginny took their time to get back to the Great Hall, and when they did, they saw the rest of the pack chatting excitedly. The two of them walked over and sat in their usual seats, and joined in the conversation about recent news. It seemed the pack had already gotten over Harry and Ginny's happy attitude.

But there was a reason Ginny was happy. That aching in her chest was gone! She felt whole again, to put it simply. Much better than the past week; she had silently pondered why, but came up empty handed with each idea.

XXX

It was yet again another sleepless night for two particular Gryffindors. One with nightmares, the other comforting her with stories about his past; it was near midnight this time. If another student had come in to the Gryffindor Common Room, he or she might have guessed that the two of them were best friends. They would dismiss the fact however, when they would see the black haired boy get a mischievous look in his eyes.

There was only about a week left until the First Task, and Harry and Ginny had decided not to tell their friends about their bond, if that was what it was. The Weasleys would no doubt be alarmed, as well as Hermione. Luna would probably be overly excited.

There was a connection between the two of them, they had come to realize. Whenever they were too far apart, the ache returned. Of course, the ache never returned when they were inside the castle. But when one was outside, the pack would see the other run out shortly after.

And the deadline for the First Task was approaching, so they talked about the dragons more than anything. Ginny was concerned for him, but he told her he was going to be fine.

"Ginny, don't worry about it. I can summon my broom," he convinced her when she asked.

She didn't seem very convinced, and surprisingly, a glow seemed to come from that unconvinced look. "Ginny, I'll be fine."

"I know," she sighed.

They talked for a little longer, before Ginny started on her homework. Harry was trying to practice the Summoning Charm, and Ginny found it quite amusing when he accidently said and pointed his wand at a sleeping Crookshanks. The cat didn't complain, but you could tell he wasn't happy about being wakened up from his sleep.

"You two are still up?" a familiar voice yawned, startling the both of them, as she came down the stairs.

Luna Lovegood yawned one more time, before sitting in an armchair closest to the fire. "Luna?" Ginny greeted nervously.

"I couldn't sleep," Luna stated simply, before Crookshanks jumped onto her lap. "Besides, I thought I had heard people talking down here. So I decided to investigate."

"We're just studying," Ginny replied, although Luna didn't look convinced.

XXX

The next few days passed with quite a bit of tension, Harry noticed. Many of the students were starting to get very excited about the First Task, while the rest threw worried glances at the champions whenever they passed. Many of the Slytherins, however, were not throwing hexes at Harry in the hallway, but some did. And those who did were often given an awful Bat-Bogey Hex, which Ginny did unashamedly.

The pack was always talking about tactics during these few days. A few students had wished him luck, and he had only smiled in return. His friends had noticed he wasn't eating as much as usual, but luckily Ginny could convince him to eat. Harry noticed how the pack had exchanged glances whenever she convinced him.

On the eve of the First Task, the pack was doing last minute homework. Fred, George, and Ron were now getting better at doing homework the night they got it, so they could hang out with their friends more. Never the less, Hermione was pleased at this new attitude towards homework.

Needless to say, the whole pack was excited for the First Task, and the second Hogsmeade Trip of the term after that. Although, everyone could clearly tell that Harry was looking forward to the Hogsmeade trip more.

"Finished," Ron grinned as he rolled up his essay.

Hermione's expression brightened and she congratulated him before returning to her work. The Weasley twins had already finished, so Luna was helping them plan pranks, again. It seemed they were not done with pranks yet.

Harry and Ginny were sitting on the couch, though nobody said anything. Both of them were reading a book that sat on their laps. Although, their friends had no idea what they were reading. It was a book on animagi, although they only found this book in the back of the library. Again, they were researching. Although Hermione had said that there had to be another case besides Harry, Harry and Ginny weren't so sure. They had found nothing, and supposedly this was the last book on animagi in the library.

The two of them had discussed after this book, they had wanted to research something else. Why couldn't they be too far apart from one another?

"I'm going off to bed," Ron yawned and he closed his books and went upstairs.

Shortly after that, Luna had gone up to bed, and so had Fred and George. Even Hermione had gone up to bed after an hour past midnight. Harry didn't feel like he could sleep, though. And the pain of sleeping was almost radiating from Ginny, so the two of them continued to read the book. They were almost done; they only had about ten pages left.

Once the book had been finished, Harry sighed, slightly in exasperation, "So that's it."

"There can't be any other documents on it," Ginny finished for him.

Harry nodded, before he replied, "But there had to be others."

"Maybe; what I don't understand is that if any animagi had kids, surely their kids would be born animagi!"

Harry shrugged. "I'll have to ask Sirius about it. It seems that there's more to this topic."

They then decided that they would return the book on Sunday, and then start their research on the next topic they were looking for. If it came down to it, they would search the entire library all over again for the new topic. Although, Ginny had stated she had seen a few books that looked promising.

The two of them had gone into a deep discussion, and before they knew it, it was five in the morning.

Harry felt very queasy, though. Today was the day. Today he would have to fight a dragon. And more than likely, that dragon was going to be the Hungarian Horntail. It had angered Ginny that he had thought it was going to be the most dangerous dragon in the world, although Harry couldn't convince her he would easily defeat it.

He had met up with Ginny, and the two of them headed down towards breakfast. For the past two weeks, they were always the first to go down to the Great Hall to get breakfast. They had both laughed when they saw Snape's eyes widen when he saw the two in a deep conversation about animagi.

Ginny sat next to Harry, and the two of them quietly talked about the task. Neither wanted him to compete, but they still discussed the plan yet again.

Not long after they were finished with their conversation, Hermione had come downstairs. The rest of the pack slowly followed, but all of them showed signs of drowsiness. They hadn't gotten any sleep, it seemed.

Harry barely touched his food, not really wanting to eat. Today was the day; he had to face the music. Today was the day he would fight a dragon. No matter if he wasn't hungry, no matter if he wanted to deny it; he was facing a dragon. Harry silently wondered who would win. Would he die? He couldn't leave the pack. He couldn't leave Ginny! But how likely was it he was going to win? It couldn't be very likely.

"Harry you have to eat something," Ginny elbowed his side.

"I'm not hungry."

"You're going to need the energy!"

"I can't eat."

Ginny had sighed, clearly giving up, but not before she took a Chocolate Frog out of her pocket. "Eat this," she handed him the box.

Harry looked down at the box, before opening it. The card was Albus Dumbledore, but he gave the card to Ginny, before quickly getting through the candy. It tasted like thick cardboard.

Ginny looked pleased with herself that she had gotten him to eat something. In reality, though, Harry was afraid he was going to throw the candy back up later. He needed the energy, yes, but his emotions were running wild with nervousness.

Many students came over to wish him luck, even a few of the Slytherins. They all smiled and told him he was going to be great, although he highly doubted that. Never the less, he smiled back forcefully. It was hard for him to think about smiling, but he managed it as best as he could.

The hour seemed to go by slowly, and Harry wished it would only go by faster. The faster it passed, the faster he could get done with this First Task. Although, it seemed fate was not giving him what he wanted.

Soon enough, though, students and the other champions slowly started to depart from the Great Hall. The pack slowly finished their breakfast before getting up to go. Harry noticed Ginny was watching his reaction in concern. He smiled the best that he could, but it still didn't seem to convince her.

The pack made their way near the stands, before they stopped. "Be safe, Harry," Luna smiled before she departed.

"Get us a dragon egg if you can!" Fred and George grinned before being hit by Hermione with a spare book she had.

The two of them quickly ran after Luna, while the original two members of the Golden trio wished him the best of luck they could. "Be safe Harry!" Hermione called out as they also departed.

Ginny continued to walk with Harry for the rest of the way to the tent, holding his hand while she smiled and tried to convince herself and him that he was going to be alright. The few Beauxbatons that were wishing Fleur luck had stopped to look at the pair. They had smiled and giggled, before the six French students ran off. Fleur, on the other hand, just seemed to ignore the pair.

They stopped outside of the tent, and Ginny looked at Harry. "You come back alive, Potter," she ordered, before hugging him and leaving.

Harry gulped. Today was the day; the deadline. He knew he had already said that a million times, but he had to say it again. The fear that tugged on him was latching on, refusing to let go. He was facing a dragon. Again, he wondered if he could keep his promise to Ginny. Could he come back alive?

Walking into the tent, he saw the other three champions looking around. Cedric looked fearful, and Harry slightly regretted not telling him about the dragons. Fleur looked confident, although there was obvious fear in her expression. Harry wondered if he looked like that at the moment, except no confidence. Krum, however, was hiding his emotions under a mask of a blank expression.

Gulping again, Harry sat on an empty bench. He hoped that the time would go slower now, so that he wouldn't have to face an awful dragon. He heard the crowds gathering, chatter right outside of the tent. He felt like he could be sick, but fought down the feeling. He really needed the energy.

XXX

Ginny ran nervously up to the stands where the rest of the pack was. When she had told Harry he had to come back alive, she really meant it. Not because he was the Boy Who Lived, but because she knew how much she didn't want to lose. . . . Him; today was going to be awful. Harry was going to face a dragon. He was going to try and survive, and get what appeared to be a golden egg of the sorts.

Looking at her friends, Ginny saw that they were all very worried. Although, she had a feeling that she looked the worse. Gripping the rail, Ginny tried not to get sick. Thankfully, she succeeded, but not without a few worried glances from her friends. That was odd, she hadn't felt sick before.

The rest of the pack seemed to go pale slightly when Bagman spoke up, his wand casting a spell to make him louder, "Ladies, gentlemen, and students! Welcome to the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament! Today, the four champions will be fighting one of the most vicious species in the world," Ginny gulped when she heard that, "A dragon! Each champion must try and get the golden egg, as seen, to proceed to the next task! The dragon will try to guard the golden egg and the dragon eggs, while the champion must try to get the egg itself! For the first champion to compete is Cedric Diggory!" This received many cheers from the Hufflepuffs, "And he shall be up against a Swedish Short-Snout!"

Cheers came again, before they saw the twenty two foot silvery blue dragon be released into the ring. The dragon roared, as if she knew that she was being put on for show, and then she saw the eggs.

The dragon roared again, before she crawled over to the eggs, guarding them.

Ginny saw Cedric Diggory come shakily into the ring, looking at the dragon. The Short-Snout hadn't spotted him yet, and he tried to take this to his advantage. He leapt behind a rock, right before the dragon turned and blew a magnificent blue fire, although it didn't destroy the rock he was hiding behind.

The whole match lasted for quite a while, and Ginny watched as Cedric got many burns on his face and shoulders, before he finally grabbed the golden egg, grinning. Again, cheers erupted from the Hufflepuffs, and this time, all of the other students.

Ginny watched as Fleur stepped into the ring, got the egg, and then Krum also stepped into the ring. He used different tactics, and Ginny saw many of the girls gasping with wide eyes as he accidentally made the dragon smash many of her eggs. The Chinese Fireball clearly wasn't happy at all.

However, he finally succeeded in getting the egg, and Durmstrang caused the loudest of the cheers. But Ginny knew what was going to happen next. There was still one more champion and dragon, Harry Potter and the Hungarian Horntail.

And so the final match of the First Task was prepared and began.


	7. Chapter 6: Fire & Gold

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: And here's the next chapter! Thank you for the support. This chapter is pretty much mainly focused on the match with Harry and the dragon; just a slight bit of violence, not much in this chapter.**

Harry stepped into the humongous ring, looking right into the eyes of the massive black Hungarian Horntail. The dragon roared, and Harry sighed in relief. Although the dragon was massive, that was the disadvantage it had. A huge dragon was slower, not as quick. This was a huge advantage to him.

Jumping aside just as the dragon blew a wall of fire at him, Harry realized that he had just dropped his glasses. There went his cover for not being able to see without them. _Crap_, he thought bitterly.

Running with almost inhuman speed, Harry quickly ran to the nearest rock available. He jumped behind it, and raised his wand. "Accio Firebolt!" he yelled.

It was going to take a few minutes for the broom to get here, and Harry silently cursed that fact. Looking up at the crowd, Harry realized he was being cheered on. That set an idea.

Jumping out from his protection, Harry rammed into his broom, landing on it just in time. He sped towards the dragon as fast as he could, before he flew backwards, taunting it. The Horntail roared, and Harry could hear the cheers just as well.

Harry yet again sped forward, and he was vaguely reminded of his first Quidditch match. He chuckled slightly, right before the dragon realized that Harry was winning.

The Horntail roared, and Harry sped sideways, just as another wall of fire ran past him. Harry could barely hear a familiar shriek of fright.

He wasn't even close to the egg, though. He somehow had to get to the other side of the dragon, without being burned to a crisp. How was he going to do that? Of course, there was the obvious way, but Harry ignored that. He wasn't going to do that. It was his only secret weapon against Voldemort.

He then had an idea. If he could jump off his broom without being noticed, and if he got close enough, he could run right under the dragon's head. Of course, the dragon wouldn't want to risk destroying her eggs, so that was another advantage. Hungarian Horntails would protect their eggs at all costs, even if it meant dying in the process.

Harry then looked the dragon directly in the eyes. He could sense the dragon was in pure rage, and Harry hoped that he had an advantage if he could calm the dragon. But how could he do it? There were plenty of options, but which one would work the best? Definitely not a Calming Trance or Charm, so that was out of the question; but there was one option. One option he could use. Of course, he would have to find something, so he concentrated hard.

The dragon looked at him curiously, and Harry then found what he was looking for. The crowd was now silent, except for the cheers from the pack. Drawing out his wand, Harry yelled at the top of his lungs, "Expecto Patronum!"

Harry had never done the Patronus Charm without a Dementor or a boggart, but miraculously, it worked. A silvery stag burst from his wand, and he heard the gasps in surprise as the stag charged in the opposite direction of where he was going to go. The dragon roared in surprise, before spewing flames at the Patronus, but the stag was unaffected by the fire, which led to the dragon trying all the more harder to attack it.

This was the chance Harry was looking for. He flew his broom out of the dragon's side without the eggs, and jumped off his Firebolt. He was running out of time, fast. The stag couldn't keep the dragon from noticing Harry for much longer. If he didn't succeed in at most, five minutes, he would have to start over.

This time, Harry ran at full speed, which to most was inhuman. But he wasn't going to make it; the stag was starting to fade. He had to go back. The dragon was realizing the stag was just a product of magic. Harry ran back to his broom as fast as he could, just as the dragon roared.

Jumping onto his broom, he soared upwards, the dragon already too late, the wall of fire far below him. Harry was silently glad. He would have to redo his planning, yes, but he was miraculously alive. That had to be some good from this match. Although, Harry didn't know; he didn't even know how the rest of the champions were doing.

Thinking about how to do this best, Harry yet again had another idea. If he could do it, he would more than likely succeed. But it might cause him to injure the dragon, which he didn't want to do. Dragons were animals, dangerous, yes, but they were animals. But he had to do it; it was his only option for succeeding now.

_Potter, you make it back alive, _Harry smiled slightly at what Ginny had said.

Diving into a fully fledged and almost completely straight downward spiral, Harry grimaced at the thought of the pack's expression at the moment. But this was the only option.

He pulled up just as he was about to crash, and he flew on his broom, only about three feet off the ground, and right towards the eggs. His only option was life or death now, and he secretly hoped he wasn't going to die. The dragon had just noticed him; he was going to fail. . . . And then everything went in slow motion it seemed.

Harry swerved sideways as yet another wall of fire came towards him, the black dragon roaring with anger beyond rage. But he was quicker than the dragon, and he was nearly there. Almost there; Harry made a dive for the golden egg. He felt the polished metal as he got a firm grip on the large object.

He then twisted around so he was going to smack into the dragon's side, and he heard the crowd gasp. But Harry worked fast, and he placed his feet on the dragon's side, the crack from the impact almost deafening. He had his hand on his broom, at his left side. His other hand had the golden egg in it. He ricocheted off the black scales, and he flew toward the ring's walls. Again, he could barely hear the scream of shock as he landed not even an inch away from the wall.

The Horntail roared, furious, and then spewed a wall of fire at him. "Aguamenti," Harry yelled, just as furious.

Water shot from his wand, and extinguished the cackling and deadly orange flames. The dragon looked confused when the flames had not destroyed Harry as planned. Harry braced himself for another attack of flames, and the dragon keepers couldn't seem to calm it down. Wall after wall of fire, Harry kept on extinguishing the flames, trying to survive. He didn't lose or gain any ground at all.

XXX

Ginny watched in horror as Harry battled the dragon, even though he had the egg, Charlie and the other dragon keepers couldn't control the dragon. Neither side was winning nor losing, which earned a few gasps from the humongous crowd. Even the other two headmasters appeared to be shocked. How could a fourth year have that much power?

The dragon roared louder and louder each time Harry extinguished the powerful flames and Ginny had to cover her ears from the noise. The whole scene continued on for half an hour, until Harry finally shot dozens of Stunning Spells at the dragon. Each time, the dragon would roar, but it had lost the ability to spew fire the first time it was hit.

Harry was slowly gaining ground. A creature that big, though, couldn't be stunned as easily as a person could; although, the dragon didn't break any of the eggs. For that, Ginny was thankful. Krum had accidentally let the dragon crush over half of the eggs.

Ginny gripped the rail again suddenly, and she saw two things at once. On one hand, she saw the dragon and Harry battling. On the other hand, she saw spell after spell being fired, the dragon only about fifty yards away. Although, a few seconds later she only saw Harry battling.

The fourteen year old was slowly starting to defeat the dragon, but the dragon was holding up a strong fight. Everybody, including many of the Slytherins, watched with faces of horror and awe as Harry kept on throwing Stunning Spells constantly.

"Stupefy!" Harry roared over and over again, and Ginny wondered how much that hurt his throat.

Ginny looked over to see her friends expressions, shocked at what she was seeing when she did. Hermione was clamping her mouth shut with her hands, more than likely trying to prevent herself from screaming. Ron just looked extremely pale, just like Fred and George. Luna was watching with curiosity, but it seemed she wasn't afraid for her friend. She just looked like she was trying to take mental notes on how to defeat a dragon.

Turning her head back to the match, she saw Harry making the dragon, slowly as the dragon was discovering it was becoming harder to move, towards the area where the dragon keepers would handle it. Harry stepped closer and closer, causing the spells to be more powerful. It was an amusing but terrifying sight.

Ginny could hardly make out her brother and the other dragon keepers as they strained to help Harry, although they knew it was a battle between the two.

To keep herself from screaming for the third time, Ginny clasped her hands around her mouth as she saw the dragon trying to bat Harry with a claw, away from him. But Harry was clearly winning, diving away from each swipe. Her throat felt raw itself as she denied the urge to scream or cry. Harry had almost taken down the black Hungarian Horntail; it was only a matter of time until it gave up.

XXX

Harry yelled spell after spell, aware of the dragon's now merciful roars as it was finally stunned. The whole crowd was now quiet, and Harry saw the dragon keepers fretting around, trying to get the dragon out of the way already.

The whole crowd then erupted into cheers, and Harry was thankful that it was over. Students began coming down the stairs, although one particular person found him first. "Harry!" she grinned, before hugging him.

He had defeated a dragon. And not an ordinary dragon, but a Hungarian Horntail, the most dangerous dragon in the entire world; it was a miraculous thing. He was alive, he was safe.

Ginny, still hugging him, began telling him of how the other champions had won. He had winced when he had heard that Cedric had multiple burns, but he was relieved it wasn't worse. None of the champions had died.

Bagman then told the crowd, "Now, the judges will decide the points they want to give to our fourth and final champion, Harry Potter!" Bagman then described what he had done, before adding, "The judges are ready to score!

Dumbledore, with his wand, produced a silvery eight; Madam Maxime a nine, Crouch a seven, and Karkaroff a five. Harry heard roars of outburst, and Ginny whispered to him, "He gave Krum an eight, and the Fireball crushed half of the eggs!"

But Harry didn't care, he had succeeded! He had survived the First Task. He remembered that the golden egg had a clue in it that would reveal something important for the Second Task. But that didn't matter at the moment.

The rest of the pack soon came down to the ring, looking at the massive black boulders. "Good job Harry!" Luna smiled.

After the crowd had dispersed, which took some time, the pack slowly made their way back to the castle. Fred and George congratulated him, but pretended to show their disappointment that he hadn't gotten a dragon egg for them, which caused Hermione and Ginny to both hit them with the spare books, as Harry realized she had more than one, that Hermione had brought with her. He had laughed slightly when he saw the scene play out.

One thing that had an advantage to it was that people wouldn't suspect his inhuman speed as abnormal. Luckily, they would pass it off as him being a seeker on the Quidditch team. Seekers were usually fast, quick, and agile. This was a huge advantage.

"A Patronus Charm, though!" Fred exclaimed, shaking his head. The Weasley twins hadn't been on the secret that he could produce a Patronus until now.

Harry shrugged before replying, "I couldn't let those bloody Dementors suck out my soul." Harry was reminded of Peter Pettigrew slightly; Sirius had been informed that past summer that Pettigrew had died. Although, he didn't grieve, Sirius had even said that Pettigrew was rightly fitted as a rat.

"Who taught you, though?"

"Lupin; he had agreed with me that it was dangerous having Dementors around."

The pack discussed more topics, before the day had been over. When it was, Harry and Ginny, although she would never admit it, were both exhausted. The others also looked exhausted, although they knew it didn't compare to Ginny almost throwing up twice today and Harry fighting a dragon. Yes, their exhaustion was nothing compared to the pair.

XXX

Ginny yawned tiredly. It was almost time for bed, and she was hoping that tonight sleep wouldn't be so bad. And she fell asleep shortly after.

_"Hello Ginny Weasley, my name is Tom Riddle," the diary suddenly had words on them._

_ Ginny was shocked. How could this diary even write by itself? Wasn't that impossible? "Hello Tom," Ginny wrote back, watching the letters she wrote disappear._

_ "What year is it?"_

_ "The current year is 1992." Why would a diary have any interests in what year it was?_

_ The diary__Tom, took a while to answer. "That's unusual," was all he said._

_ "What year is it then, in your time?"_

_ "It's 1942, or so I thought."_

_ 1942! That was fifty years ago! How could that be possible? "Wow," was all she wrote in response._

_ "How old are you, Ginny?"_

_ "Eleven."_

_ "That's interesting."_

_ "Well, it's not anything special. Besides Harry__"_

_ "Harry? Who is this Harry?" Tom asked._

_ "Harry Potter. He's a year older than me."_

_ "Interesting; this Harry Potter, why do you mention him," Tom asked._

_ Maybe this diary could be her friend. Nobody in her dorm really wanted to make friends with her, or so it seemed. It would be fun to have a friend, even if it was a diary. "Well, he defeated an evil man eleven years ago. He's also my brother's best friend."_

_ "He must be nice."_

_ "He is. Although, he hangs out with my brother more than me," Ginny wrote back._

_ Although this diary wanted to be her friend, she would not reveal Harry's secret about being a born animagus. Some secrets she knew were not hers, so she wouldn't tell Tom about them._

_ "That must be hard."_

_ "You have no idea," she smiled._

_ They wrote back and forth for a few more minutes, until Ginny sighed and wrote, "I have to go; it's late."_

_ "It was nice meeting you Ginny Weasley," Tom wrote._

_ "You too Tom," Ginny wrote before they said good night, and Ginny took out her notes. This was another secret she was going to keep. Nobody could know, they would tell her to stop it. But Ginny had one advantage._

_ "Hello, my name is Luna," although it was the middle of the night, a girl with dirty blonde hair walked up to Ginny; she was one of the Gryffindor first years._

_ "Hi."_

_ "What's that you're reading?"_

_ "Nothing really," Ginny replied._

_ "Oh. You mind if I help? I can help with almost anything. Besides, I can help clear your head of nargles."_

_ What were nargles? "Okay?" Ginny answered shakily._

_ Luna sat on the bed right next to her, without permission, before looking at what she was reading. "You're learning how to become an animagus!" she exclaimed quietly, before adding, "I always wanted to be one. I think a phoenix would suit me best."_

_ This girl was definitely strange, but she seemed nice. The two talked for the next hour, before Luna said, "Tell me when you're ready to do the binding spell. I want to see it for myself."_

_ Luna walked back to her own bed as Ginny closed up her notes and the book she had gotten from the library. Although Ginny wanted to have friends, she had no idea how great it would be to have Luna, and the pack, in the future._

Ginny had many more dreams after that, too exhausted to wake up. It wasn't until in the morning that it had surprised her that she had had that dream; that nightmare.


	8. Chapter 7: Smile

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: Thanks for the support! I've been having lots of time to work on the story lately, so that's why the chapters have been posted a lot more. I don't have anything else to say, so I guess here's the chapter!**

The next day, Pig, Ron's owl, had come into the Great Hall, carrying a rather large package during breakfast. Everyone looked surprised at this, as others also received packages that looked similar. Fred and George also received these packages. "I wonder what these are, Gred," George had commented when the packages landed on the tables.

Ginny, however, did not receive a package, which she seemed thankful for. Harry had a feeling he knew what these packages contained, and he was right as the Weasley boys opened their packages. "Dress robes?" George had asked when he had pulled out a dark blue dress robe.

Likewise, Fred had pulled out a golden colored one, and Ron looked disgusted when he saw his. It looked well over a hundred years old, and was a muddy and reddish brown color. It even had lace! "Why do we need dress robes?" Fred asked.

But it turned out they were going to get their answer. The Heads of Houses called for their students to come to their Common Rooms, and they all obliged. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students were even called to go to their own 'dormitories', much to everyone's befuddlement.

But the pack obliged, and all of the Gryffindors followed McGonagall up to the Gryffindor Common Room, where they all sat, even though it was slightly packed.

"As you know, we are hosting the Triwizard Tournament," McGonagall began, "But, the host school of the Tournament hosts a special event each time, the Yule Ball.

"The Yule Ball is a dance," many of the boys groaned at this, "Which is hosted on Christmas Eve until midnight; and is open to fourth years and above. Of course, students below the fourth year can attend the ball, if they have a 'partner' to attend with them. Gryffindors are expected to be on their best behavior, as is everyone else. That is all."

But she wasn't done yet; she walked over to Harry, and told him, "It is customary that the champions bring a partner to the ball," although, that was all she had said.

McGonagall left the room, her very short speech surprising everyone. She had always been known to make long speeches, but it seemed she had no need to today. George all of the sudden broke out into a grin, before he announced to the pack, "I already know who I'm asking."

The entire pack looked at him, confused, as he just grinned all the more wider, but made no comment as to who he was asking. However, he said he was going to the Owlery to do something, and Fred followed his twin in pursuit. This left the rest of the pack to ponder who he was going to ask, although Luna had a knowing smile when he had said those words. Harry silently wondered if he was going to ask her, but didn't ponder on it much more. He also had to send out two letters, but he would do that later.

The rest of the day continued on, and it wasn't until midnight that Harry was able to send out those letters. Hedwig had looked at him with a knowing look when he had done so, like she knew how important it was.

"Good luck Hedwig. Make sure when you come back, don't come into the Great Hall," Harry smiled, knowing that it wasn't going to be easy to get what he was asking for, even with the one hundred galleons he had put in the bag she was also carrying, as well as a bag with ten galleons in it.

Hedwig nipped his hand gently and affectionately before she took off in flight, and Harry draped the Invisibility Cloak over himself before he walked quickly back to the Gryffindor Dormitories and Common Room. Luckily, the Fat Lady, the portrait that guarded the Gryffindor Common Room, was still there. She had let him in, complaining all the while about how he was breaking curfew. Although, what he had done was worth it.

Ginny hadn't had nightmares for the past few nights, so Harry forced her to go to bed if he saw her sneaking in. She would always roll her eyes when he did this, but he knew she was really concerned about him. Many people asked how he could see without his glasses, and he had always replied that Madam Pomfrey had fixed his eyes. Thankfully, Pomfrey had met with Harry after the First Task, and agreed to stick to that plan. But he told the pack the truth; they deserved too know.

So Harry went back up to the fourth year boy's dorm, and slept for a total of five hours. He hadn't slept that much in weeks! It was nice; he had to admit, enjoying the peaceful rest, although he hoped that Hedwig could deliver the packages by tomorrow, he had one more job for her.

XXX

Harry awoke to a sound of an owl chirping impatiently, and immediately he jolted out of bed. The familiar snowy owl seemed to be quite amused by this, before she handed him two packages. "Thank you Hedwig! Hold on, I need to do something first," he told Hedwig, and she seemed to understand.

Almost everything was perfect. He added the last of the touches to what he thought needed to be done, before he turned back to Hedwig. Luckily, everybody in the dorm was still asleep, but Ginny would be coming up soon enough to see if he had woken up yet. "Do you think you could deliver this during the middle of breakfast?" Harry asked his beloved owl, and she shot him a 'do-you-really-have-to-ask' look, before he gave her the package.

He got dressed as fast as he could, and made it down the stairs, right before Ginny came down. Harry silently thanked his luck, and hoped the luck could only continue as they walked to breakfast.

"I wonder if Ron is going to ask Hermione," Ginny giggled.

"Probably not," Harry replied, smiling.

The two of them, again, ate for the first two hours of breakfast, while people slowly trickled into the Great Hall. Owls swooped down, but one was missing, and Harry hoped his plan was going to work, although he felt a bit uncomfortable when the pack came in.

XXX

Ginny watched the rest of her close friends come in, smiling. For once, everybody seemed happy in the pack. Of course, there were often fights between Ron and Hermione, but luckily, none had happened yet. Although with the new event coming up, Ginny knew that wasn't going to last long.

"Hello," Luna smiled, which startled Ginny. She seemed even happier than she had been in a very long time.

Owls had begun flying down to their owners, and other owls were only here to give students another new copy of _The Daily Prophet_. Some even carried gifts from parents, or invitations to the Yule Ball. But there was strangely no sign of a familiar snowy owl and she almost always came, even though she sometimes didn't have a package to deliver.

But, in about fifteen minutes afterwards, Hedwig had burst from the entrance for the owls. Many people suddenly looked up, gaping at her as she took her time to come down to the table. She was carrying a rather medium sized package.

Hedwig did not land in front of Harry, however. Instead, she landed right in front of Ginny, dropping the package before she hopped off the beautifully wrapped scarlet and gold package.

Nobody was really paying attention to their meals, now, as Ginny slowly tore off the wrapping and opened the box. Inside was the most unusual but beautiful sight.

A pendant was sitting there, the small gold chains looking as if they were actually woven by thread. But that was not the most noticeable thing. The pendant itself was amazing. There was an emerald, the main jewel. But also, like flecks of sunlight, were rubies. The emerald was incased in a gold wall that surrounded it, but from those walls burst gold threads, creating a web above the gems.

The necklace was nestled between the chocolate in the box, although that didn't matter at all. She took out the necklace, and if she had noticed, almost all of the girls in the room, except for Luna and Hermione, widened their eyes. But Ginny didn't notice. She looked up at Harry, but all he did was smile.

Soon enough, everybody went back to their breakfasts, although the pack did not. Harry then smiled even wider, before asking, "Ginny Weasley, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

That was soon enough met by Ginny's reply, "Yes!"

Putting it on, she realized it looked like something her father had brought in before, a dream-catcher. She smiled even more, realizing what it was. She felt touched by the act of that.

Turning to look at her brother's and friend's reactions, she almost burst into laughter. Ron was looking like he was trying to decide whether to hex Harry or not, even though he was technically part of the Golden Trio. But the rest of them seemed slightly shocked, but that was it.

Ginny blushed slightly when the shock had finally settled into her siblings and Hermione and Luna, but they didn't really need to explain. It seemed that the whole school knew now. _There it goes,_ Ginny mentally sighed.

Since it was still the weekend, Harry and Ginny told the rest of the pack they were going to go do some studying. It wasn't really a lie, since they were trying to find out more about what the egg could mean, and why they were experiencing the strange symptoms.

But there wasn't much success for either, and they were getting deeper and deeper into the huge forest of the bookshelves. And when they had gotten in quite a bit, they had finally found something successful. "Harry! Come and take a look at this!" Ginny called, showing him a book about merfolk.

Reading carefully, both gasped when they saw the only clue they needed. Merfolk couldn't sing or talk above the ground! Each time, it would sound like somebody was screeching at the top of their lungs. That was the vital clue they needed, the only clue. However, one question remained. How were they going to get to hear what the egg had to say?

"I remember Cedric talking about the prefect bathroom. He said that the password was 'pine fresh'," Ginny blushed when she realized that she had unwillingly eavesdropped, although Harry had agreed. They would take the Marauders' Map with them, as well as the Invisibility Cloak. The only problem was that they had no idea how to get in and out of there in time. They would have to improvise.

XXX

Smiling to herself as she looked at the necklace, Ginny let her thoughts wander slightly.

A dream-catcher on a necklace; Harry had really outdone himself. She wondered how much the necklace had cost, although he wouldn't reveal the price, saying that was his only secret. Ginny found that quite amusing, knowing that he meant to say it was his only secret from her.

She was touched by this, of course. She had never realized how much the pack had helped him after those horrible years with the Dursleys. He was just lucky she didn't want to be expelled, or she would have personally hexed them out of their house, down the street and to wherever the nearest darkest place was at.

Ginny also felt sad, though. They hadn't found anything about their connection, although it felt more like a bond. Maybe they weren't looking in the right area. But if it had to do with a bond, were they possibly skipping the section altogether? That was a major question, a major drawback.

Sighing, Ginny looked again at the necklace. As much as she had to, she didn't want to take it off. But she did, and regretted it. Her gift was something she wanted to cherish, but she knew she was going to have to take it off sometimes.

Ginny didn't fall asleep quite yet, though. She remembered what the night would bring; what sleep would bring. Although she had her dream-catcher to save her, she still felt unsure. It was a good thing she didn't wake up after every single dream, but it also made her fearful to go asleep again. At least when she had woken up from the nightmares, the rest of her sleep would be usually dreamless after that. But if she couldn't wake up, who could help her in these crazy visions?

XXX

As always, two particular Hogwarts students walked into the Great Hall, just as breakfast had been sent up from the kitchens onto the tables. They were the two only students walking in, as it was still quite early in the morning.

Many of the teachers were reminded of another two students, who often bickered up until their seventh year. One with dark red hair, the other with messy midnight black; the memories weren't as painful with the two of them here. Occasionally, you would see Peeves, the Hogwarts staff, and the ghosts look at the current students in full surprise, as if they were in a different time. But of course, the year was still 1994.

The two students would then sit, side by side, chatting quietly, as if they were in the library. The two of them would be alone for around two hours, five empty spaces around them remaining unfilled.

And then, as if on cue, a girl with brown hair would walk in, always with a book in her hand, and would sit across from them. She would soon be followed by another girl with a dreamy expression, her hair dirty blonde, and two identical redheaded twins. Of course, it was obvious that the two of them were at least two years older than the black haired boy, but they still slunk into their seats. And last but not least, another redheaded boy, his bright hair color only a shade lighter than the girl's, would come in, rushing to his seat tiredly. They called themselves a pack, which often brought memories of the four Marauders.

But the black haired boy was no average boy, and the redheaded girl was no ordinary girl. Alas, they did not know how they played a role in a game of war. Of course, nobody would ever want these two students to be two major pieces to the set, but they were.

No one, especially not Albus Dumbledore, would say they were the game pieces of war. But the destinies that were set to fall upon the seven of them were going to be binding, twisted, and cruel. The Headmaster of this grand school did not wish so, nobody did.

To most, the black haired boy was The Boy Who Lived. To most, the red haired girl was a prodigy, way beyond her time when it came to magic. But Dumbledore could clearly see that in their friendships, that was not so. Their friends and siblings only saw them as who they were, not what they had accomplished.

Breakfast would often wear on, slow and tired from the sleepless nights of students trying to finish their OWLS or NEWTS. Of course, some simply did not care, but time was ill fated.

And yes, there was more than just the Hogwarts students sitting at the tables; two other schools had brought temporarily students along with them for a spectacular event. The Triwizard Tournament, but instead of three champions, there were four; Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and fourteen year old Harry Potter.

The small black haired teenager was aware of most things. He, although unknowingly, already knew part of something he should not have known quite yet. The girl who sat next to him, Ginny Weasley, was nothing less than very important, as was Mr. Potter himself.

They did not realize that fate was out to get them, as she winded her threads and wove her fabrics on their looms, each of those looms. Of course, Dumbledore knew that fate was short of seven looms. He had been surprised himself when he had discovered this.

Many would argue that young Potter was crazy or evil. That was not so. Dumbledore, although he had to do it, had to send him to those awful Muggles on 4 Privet Drive; the Dursleys. The boy had been sent at merely the age of one to live with them. Thankfully, Dumbledore was slightly happy by his upbringing. Although Harry had never had friends before Hogwarts, he had found the only comfort that he would get; his aunt. Yes, Petunia had shown him the much needed kindness the boy had needed, although she couldn't even say she wasn't out of the woods. Her husband, Vernon Dursley, had forced her to hurt her nephew.

Harry had lived a terrible life for his first eleven years. He was expected to lack all the 'perfections' that Dudley Dursley had. He was expected to clean, cook, and do it all over again. Through many tear stained letters, Dumbledore had learned that young Harry had been in grief for his entire life, up until Hogwarts.

At Hogwarts, he had found friends. It had started with a Trio; Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Each were both only eleven years old at the time, but made an everlasting friendship.

But their group hadn't stopped there, like many would guess. They added Ginny Weasley, who became an animagus in her first year, and Luna Lovegood. But as many of the teachers had thought the group of five would cease to add more, they did. Fred and George Weasley, twins and partners in crime, had stuck by Luna's side. And she became their third partner in crime after Lee Jordan had moved; their first one.

The young students had no idea of what would await them, and neither did Dumbledore. But fate would always choose carefully, and Dumbledore had to know her plans, even if he despised it.

But Harry Potter remained oblivious to this. And he was currently pondering his thoughts about the pack and other various topics.


	9. Chapter 8: Fighting

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: Thanks for the support and such! Another chapter with mild violence, but not much; there's also some slightly disturbing parts in here, but not much.**

"Now today," Moody barked, his eyes scanning the classroom, "We are going to try and test you against the Imperius Curse. It is critical you learn this information. Although many of you think that Voldemort," many students winced at the name, "Won't come back, you could be proven wrong. Any volunteers, then?"

Nobody said a single word or raised their hands or even moved for that matter. Mad-Eye Moody was currently trying to see their levels of defense. It seemed odd that he was doing so, since technically he could be put in Azkaban for this, although he reassured them he had gotten special permission from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. But Harry had a strange feeling, like he was lying.

"Right then, Potter! Step forward!" Moody demanded, and Harry winced mentally. He was always target for things like this.

Harry stepped forward, and gulped. This was not going to be fun. But strangely, he couldn't feel any spell be casted on him. It wasn't a battle; he just shoved the dark magic aside. Everybody seemed impressed, even Moody, as he just stood there, doing nothing.

It was weird, knowing that the Imperius Curse was that easy to ignore. If he could block this curse, surely that would mean something! It was just unnatural to not even need to pay attention to the Imperius Curse. Unnerving, even; Harry had expected to need to put some kind of fight in his mind. Why didn't he need to?

The small pressure left the back of his mind, and Harry walked back to his seat. All of them, except for Ron and Hermione, stared at him with wide eyes, as if he had done a crime. He hadn't done anything, had he? It couldn't be his fault that he had been suddenly very guarded against that attack!

"Right then, Malfoy! You're next!" Moody shouted, and it was clearly evident that Malfoy didn't want to do it as he sank deeper into his seat.

Many of the Slytherins in the fourth year, however, pushed Malfoy up to the front, while he looked like he was fuming mad at them. Something strange had happened in Slytherin. And it wasn't good.

Malfoy didn't even stand a chance against the dreaded Curse. He had a pained expression on his face as he was made to sing 'God Bless Ye Merry Hippogriffs'. It was quite amusing to watch, and by the time Malfoy had finished, only a few people hadn't laughed at the sight.

Students then went up one by one, to be tested at their strength against the Imperius Curse. Only Hermione had been able to handle it for more than a few seconds, but she still couldn't compare to the complete blockage on Harry's part. By the end of class, everybody was looking befuddled when Harry was called up for a second time, but the Imperius Curse still didn't affect him at all. He just stood there, completely blocking it like it was only a speck of dust.

Moody told him to stay for a minute, before asking him, "How did you block that Curse?"

"I don't know!" Harry answered truthfully, he himself wondering how he had done it.

"A fourth year couldn't have deflected that so easily, Potter," Moody snarled, before drinking from his flask. "You're dismissed Potter!"

Harry fled the disastrous scene, noting that he couldn't help but feel shocked. Of course, he should feel shocked, but if he could block the Imperius Curse, could he block the Cruciatus Curse too? And the Killing Curse? These thoughts swirled around Harry's mind as he went off to his next class.

The next class, Ancient Runes, was much more helpful. Although he decided to not to take Divination with Ron, Ancient Runes was more than easy to do, and the spells they learned could prove to be more than helpful. Of course, the required work kept his mind off of things, although his thoughts still occasionally wandered around his work.

XXX

It was Dinner in the Great Hall, and Harry was talking to his friends, who all seemed interested in the blockage of the Imperius Curse. "So you were just completely blocked? That's strange, I experienced the same thing," Ginny noted, and all of them looked slightly outraged when she said this. "What?"

"Why would Moody try something like that on a third year?" Fred asked, shaking his head.

"That's weird, I also blocked it," Luna added in.

"So did I; it was strange," George replied.

"Were we the only ones that could do that?" Harry asked, and the pack and their fellow Gryffindors who were listening nodded.

"It's just not normal without practice!" Hermione sighed, seeming to be exasperated.

The pack paused, for an eerie moment, before the rest of them jumped back into conversation. It was more exciting now that Harry and Ginny were participating in the discussion also, since the two of them would usually talk so low only they could hear the other's voice.

"Do you think?" Ginny asked him once, her voice lowered, and he shrugged slightly; he honestly didn't know if this could be helpful or not.

Nobody seemed to notice that they had gone back into their whispers for a minute, but they resumed talking to the pack as soon as they had finished the quick chat.

"Well, maybe it has something to do with magic," Luna suggested.

"What do you mean? Of course it has something to do with magic!"

"Let me finish, please. Magic comes in all forms; maybe this has something to do with another branch of magic," Luna stated, looking slightly put out with Hermione's ranting.

"Another branch of magic, are you sure?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Nobody can ever be sure of anything, even logic."

And although Hermione looked slightly angered at that, Harry knew she had to agree. Nobody could be so sure of everything. Books could hold thousands of lies, while discoveries could prove old facts wrong every day. Some things just required to come to a conclusion that some people would hate, but it was the truth.

XXX

Ginny smiled, trying to stifle a laugh, but unsuccessfully. It was humorous to watch the Weasley twins doing their homework, arguing about if it was right or not and both saying aloud they wished they were working on their 'masterpieces'. Of course, their work was mainly focused on pranks, but some of it even included helpful things like the Extendable Ears that they had just finished. Those would be helpful in the future when they wanted to hear what her parents, Molly and Arthur, were discussing when they didn't want their children to hear their quiet arguments.

But it was this particular night that had her trying hard not to laugh. The Weasley twins were discussing something, shooting glares at Ron and glances at Harry and Ginny every so often, while trying hard to do their homework. There was obviously something that the girl and boy had missed, and she wanted to find out what exactly it was. It was always interesting to see what Ron had to say about something, but she figured this conversation was going to be particularly interesting, it would be something overly humorous.

As usual, the seven of them were sitting on the floor, in armchairs or on the couches as usual. Luna sat in an armchair, Ron and Hermione also sat in armchairs, while Fred and George were on the floor. Ginny and Harry sat on a nice, fluffy, couch. Harry and Ginny had already done their homework, so they were just watching the others, interested in what they were trying to accomplish.

"Will you two please be quiet," Hermione huffed, "We really need to finish our homework."

"We're just discussing," Fred and George said in unison.

It seemed to be one of those nights, yet again, where the other five were trying to catch up in homework. Naturally, Hermione was doing the homework that was given today, while the rest of them were working on homework that was either going to be due tomorrow or in a few days at most. Ginny noted that it seemed exhausting, taking them into the deep hours of the night, long after they should have been asleep.

"It's time for bed," yawned Luna, before she took one look at the two sixth years, and added, "Fifteen minutes at most."

The two of them winced, realizing that she was assigning them a time limit, before scrambling to get their homework finished. Although Luna wasn't as bad as Hermione, she could sometimes be worse. She would often control the time limit everybody had and of how much homework they could do each night, which was often that night's assigned homework and any they hadn't finished. Harry and Ginny always had their homework done, of course, but the dirty blonde thirteen year old could be quite terrifying at moments.

Hermione had gone off to bed minutes later, and Ron went up to the boy's dormitories shortly after she had. Fred and George ran through their homework, quills scrambling on the pieces of parchment, writing very quickly. They had luckily finished at ten minutes, but both were grumbling about how they were lucky they had even finished their homework.

Luna didn't come back down when the fifteen minutes were up, since it was deadly quiet in the Common Room, except for the very hushed voices talking. Those two voices belonged to Harry and Ginny, and they were discussing the possibilities of the blockage and what it actually meant.

"We need to work harder with research," Ginny sighed, clearly not happy with the unknown answers.

Harry nodded, replying, "It's the only way, really. This isn't normal magic. What about what Luna said about a different branch of magic?"

"That's a very good guess, now that you mention it. But there are so many branches of magic, how are we supposed to know which is which?"

"Well, if it is a separate branch of magic, it has to do with very hard concepts."

"I did see a book on different branches of magic at the library, towards the front, so we can go research that."

They talked for about an hour after that, before they went up to bed.

XXX

Harry walked into the fourth year boy's dormitory, and the only noise was his footsteps and the snoring coming from the other boys. It was always nice to come up here late at night so that Harry wouldn't get questioned by the other boys for getting ready for the next day so late and so early.

He got ready for bed, but he didn't feel like he was ready for bed yet. There were still the questions of many things that Harry didn't know the answer to. It had frustrated him to realize that although they only had one topic now to research, they still couldn't find anything about it. And they didn't want to go to Madam Pince, the librarian, since although she might know the books they were looking for, she would alert the Hogwarts Staff. Harry and Ginny both knew that one day they would have to reveal what had been going on, but it was going to be hard to do so, since they didn't know much about it at all.

Another thing that bothered him was the Second Task. Although it was in February, three months from now, he couldn't help but feel it had something bad to do with it. Something very bad, and he didn't like it one bit. Although he had placed first in the First Task, it still unnerved him to think about what might happen if this Second Task would be harder than any of them had originally thought. He was still fourteen, not a seventeen year old! And he was still expected to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, but he had to admit, the dangerous work that the Tournament required was going to make him think all the more harder of how to survive such a thing.

The night seemed to drag on for Harry, and he really only got three hours of sleep in the end. When he woke up to see that it was ten minutes till five, Harry quickly got ready for the day. It was not going to be easy to keep up with all the homework, research, and Winter Break. In fact, if anything, it was going to be even more exhausting of a day.

"Good morning," Ginny smiled at him as he came down.

Both of them went out of the portrait hole, much to the mutterings from the Fat Lady, "Why can't you two just be like normal kids and sleep in?"

The two of them had laughed; making sure it wasn't too loud, before continuing down to the Great Hall. The eerie quietness that they were met with every day didn't really bother Harry, as many of the students were still sleeping.

When they had finally gotten down to the Great Hall, only Dumbledore and McGonagall had arrived to keep an eye on the students. But the two of them walked over to the usual seating area and sat down quickly as food began to appear on the plates. Biscuits, rolls, bacon, eggs, and the like filled the Great Hall with aromas that would make any student hungry.

The two of them chatted quietly and began their breakfast until around six, which was unusual, that Hermione came downstairs. Of course, she had her book in hand, and she seemed to have an eager look on her face as she quickly made her way over to the table and sat down.

"What is it Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Well, you know how this Tournament is to make bonds with other schools and countries," she started, and Harry and Ginny nodded, "Well, I hope this is okay with you Harry, but I got asked to the Yule Ball by Viktor Krum," she blurted out, something that wasn't usually what Hermione would do.

Ginny then burst out into a fit of giggles, and Hermione looked at her incredulously as Harry explained, "You don't have to ask me, I'm fine with that. I think its Ron you might have the trouble with."

"I don't think so. He's been quite thick headed lately," Hermione replied, which got them all laughing.

After their fit of giggles was over, Hermione went to studying from her book, while eating breakfast at the same time. The book was about Advanced Charms and Runes, so Harry decided not to ask if it was interesting. It probably was to her, but he didn't really find it all that captivating.

George, Fred, and Luna came down after about an hour and a half, each of them looking worn out and tired. "We've been planning," was all Luna said as she yawned loudly.

The three of them slowly sat down, piling food and pouring coffee for themselves. Harry found this quite humorous, as it showed how drained and exhausted they were, as they had stated they usually hated coffee.

Ron came down when it was nearing eight, and he seemed unusually excited that the Winter Break was starting tomorrow, a Saturday, and that tomorrow was also a Hogsmeade Day. Truth be told, many of the students seemed very excited at the idea of such a thing.

Ron quickly sat down and just as quickly he began eating. It was hard to get him to pay attention to anything when he was eating, and everybody grimaced slightly. Hermione had a look of disgust on her face as he ate, and Harry noted that once Ron was finished, he quickly began talking.

At first he stated that Hermione was a girl, and you could clearly tell the brown haired girl's tempers flared slightly as she replied, "I'm glad you noticed that."

But that wasn't the worst of it, and he actually asked her after that comment! Hermione then growled, "You should have really figured that out sooner, Ronald! Because somebody has already asked me! And I said yes!"

Hermione then left the table, her face red with rage as the rest of the pack got away from the table. But Harry and Ginny stayed for a few minutes longer, and it was clear they weren't happy with Ron either. Of course, he could have done something nice, but he didn't. And Harry knew this was not going to end well, probably with a fierce fight between Hermione and Ron. "Don't you ever learn any manners, Ron?" Ginny scowled, before she got up from the table.

"What?" he asked, and Harry got up to follow Ginny as he said that.

The two of them left Ron to wondering what he had actually done wrong, and Ginny muttered when they were out of the Great Hall, "He's such an arse sometimes!"

Harry had to agree. Although they were still only fourteen, sixteen, and thirteen in ages, it still seemed very wrong to just be so cruel to be so mean to Hermione! Not many people could actually be so foul about such a thing, but it was hard to say that it hadn't been done before. Many people could be quite rude, and even then, it was harder to show them that it was inappropriate and impolite. But one thing was for sure, Ron definitely needed to learn some politeness at least.

He walked with Ginny up until she had to go to DADA, and he had to go to Charms. They then said a quick goodbye and he walked off towards the Charms classroom, thinking about the trip to Hogsmeade. Truth be told, he and Ginny would have to get dress robes, as would Luna and possibly Hermione, so that was going to be quite an interesting day. The Twins had said they would come, joking that they couldn't leave Harry to all of that shopping, even though they were already set to go.

Harry walked into the classroom to see Hermione scowling and glaring at Ron. Harry mentally winced at the sight. No, the two of them were probably going to be fighting for the entire Winter Break, and that would not be fun at all. If anything, it was going to be a hectic two weeks. At least, in Harry's opinion, he wouldn't have to worry about being in the fight this time, as he had already said his thoughts about the whole thing, and so had Ginny. That was one plus.

So he sat down and started to practice the new Charm that they were studying, hoping that the day would only go by all the faster.


	10. Chapter 9: Hogsmeade

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

It was a cold and windy Saturday, to put it bluntly. It was around ten degrees outside, and the air howled as snow came crashing down. It was a concussion of weather, and everybody shivered as they stepped outside, but it just seemed to make the snowstorm worse.

Everybody in the pack, except for Ron, who was going off with Seamus and Dean, were trying to get to Maria's Auras, a supposedly small robe shop. It turned out that Hermione already had her dress robes, although she insisted that she wanted to come. Harry knew it was just because she didn't want to go with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, two Gryffindor fourth years. He couldn't blame her; those two were really quite annoying.

So the six of them walked through the bitter cold, and they all smiled when they finally found the robe shop. It was a medium sized shop, with a few welcome signs in the front window, as well as a few dress robes. The whole shop radiated joy, just like Madam Malkin's did, but it welcomed customers slightly more. Since everybody was very cold, they all quickly went inside.

There were only two people inside the shop, a customer, who was a Ravenclaw third year, Astoria Greengrass, and Mrs. Maria herself. The shop owner was very busy, since the second year was requesting some new robes. The brown haired girl then said a quick goodbye, before leaving, a scowl on her face. "Oh hello there," Maria smiled, before asking, "Do you all need dress robes?"

"Nope," Fred and George grinned, before Fred replied while pushing Harry, Ginny, and Luna forward, "Just these three."

Maria evidently sighed in relief, before ushering the three of them near the mirrors. "Yes, yes, let's see," she muttered slightly.

She went over to Luna first, before taking out various fabrics. When she had finally stopped at a dark blue fabric with white polka dots, she then put away the other fabrics, and started to pin the material into a dress robe. After she had done that, Maria waved her wand and dark blue thread and a needle went together and began stitching the fabric. "Tell me when that's done," she told Luna.

Maria then went over to Harry, looking between him and even more fabrics. She then settled for a dark emerald green one, and then began to pin it together. It surprised Harry that she chose that color, since it was only two or three shades darker than his actual eye color. She told Harry the same thing as she had with Luna, before she went over to Ginny.

But, Luna told her that the stitching was done, and Maria quickly went over to her. "Ah, yes, they are finished! Go and try this on, if it doesn't fit, just tell me. The changing rooms are over there," she smiled, and Luna ran over to them, dress robe in hand.

Maria then looked at different types of fabric for Ginny, and while she was doing so, she realized that Harry's dress robe was ready. She ushered him towards the changing room, and Harry was sure that he had heard a few laughs from Fred and George, who were evidently reading two copies of _the Daily Prophet_. It seemed that those two were catching hold of any conversation in the shop; which was going to be very annoying.

Hopefully Winter Break was going to be an alright time. Although Harry didn't like the idea of getting dress robes, he had agreed since he was a Hogwarts Triwizard champion, and this meant he had to go to the Yule Ball. This made him mentally wince, to just even think about Christmas Eve.

XXX

"Ah, yes! Green does suit well with you, dear," Maria smiled as she took out a fabric that was a dark emerald green, and another fabric that was a ruby red. "The red is for the sash," she added when Ginny looked at her incredulously.

Maria then started to pin the dress robe together, mumbling to herself about something. It took her a few minutes longer to pin the fabric together, but soon enough she was finished with the pinning. She waved her wand, and an emerald green thread and a needle began stitching the robe together. "Now you just wait and tell me when that stitching is done," Maria ordered.

Ginny laughed to herself. It was such a simple thing to do, but yet it wasn't. Maria seemed to make it all the more harder.

Looking at the stitching taking place, Ginny became lost in her thoughts. There was something nagging in the back of her mind, like she should know something, something very important. But what was so important that she had to know about? She couldn't think of any reason why, it seemed absolutely ridiculous to feel like she did. The feeling didn't go away, though, and it absolutely bothered her. It was Winter Break! What did she have t worry about?

And then suddenly, it came to her. She knew exactly what book they needed to see, the exact book that would help her and Harry find out about this mystery they were trapped in. The book, deep within the library, but not in the restricted section; it would be easy and hard to find. A difficult task, but was it worth it in the end?

"How do I look?" Luna asked as she stepped out of the changing room.

The dark blue and white dress robe went down to her feet, and it was absolutely stunning. It seemed that everybody was speechless at first, except for Hermione, who cheerfully complimented, "It looks perfect."

"Umm. . . .The stitching is done," Ginny muttered, and Maria, who was tending to another customer, Michael Corner, came over to her and looked at the finished piece.

"Yes, yes, it is done! Now please go try it on and see if it will fit," Maria ordered, and Ginny complied.

It looked well on her, the dress robe, in her mind. Yes, it was slightly plain, but the simplicity was spot on. All in all, it was perfect for her. But was it right for the champion's Yule Ball partner, and girlfriend? It was all so confusing to think about, it gave her a headache.

Deciding that it was, Ginny slowly walked out to see her friend's and brothers' judgment. The scene was quite humorous, when she walked in, actually. George, Fred, and Hermione seemed to be trying very hard to hex the other as Hermione had a very heated argument with the two. It seemed that George and Fred were winning the fight, since they were not sporting electric blue hair. Although, Ginny knew she couldn't be sure.

Luna was trying to calm the fight, but she was not having much success either. She looked as if she was handling a bunch of kids; utterly exhausted. Ginny had only seen that same look on her mother, many times, beforehand. Luna was also back in her regular school robes, but that really wasn't much of a surprise. She had stated before to Ginny that the nargles and snorkacks often attacked her when she wore a dress, although she had said the snorkacks didn't have horns like their cousins, crumple-horned snorkacks. Ginny had found this quite absurd, since she didn't even know what snorkacks were. She had been even more confused when Luna had actually explained what snorkacks were.

But she then focused on Harry. Running over, she pulled him into a hug, smiling as she did so. Although her dress robes hung to her feet, she was still able to run over to him, and he seemed slightly shocked when she did so. But Harry then broke into a grin, and the only thing that that separated them was a cough from Fred. Ginny, who was now slightly amused with her brother, turned around just in time to see him be whacked with a book by not Hermione, but Luna. "Learn some manners!" Luna scolded, and they all paused before they burst out laughing.

"Not my fault. At least I'm not as bad as Ron," Fred grinned and replied cheekily, which earned him another round of a book to the head.

"Yes, you may not be as bad in some ways, but you're worse in others," Hermione pointed out, and they all started to chuckle slightly.

Ginny then slipped out, and quickly went over to the changing rooms. She didn't want to be seen in that dress robe until she had to be, which would be at the Yule Ball. Besides, the dark emerald green matched her necklace completely. Her necklace; it prevented the nightmares.

Ever since she put it on, she had had no nightmares. It seemed to be a miracle, but a trace of the nightmares wasn't there anymore. No Chamber, no Tom Riddle, and no flashes of green light. Although, the green light did not come from her own dreams, it still had her shuddering when she saw it. It was amazing what the necklace could do, and she had Harry to thank for that.

This time, though, instead of tucking the necklace behind her school robes, she brought it out to the front. It was a gift, and she should treat it so. It hadn't really occurred to her before that she should treat it that way, since many girls stared wide-eyed at the pendant. She had hidden it, afraid of what girls would comment about when they saw it. But, Ginny didn't want to hide it anymore. It seemed strange, to her, of course, but she felt like she couldn't hide it. The dream-catcher was too important now. Too important to hide, it seemed.

Ginny walked back out, hoping that she had enough money to pay for the dress robe, which she carried in her hands. But, much to her shock, Harry handed Maria two dress robes worth of galleons as Ginny walked in. He shouldn't have done that; she could very well pay for it herself. She wasn't that helpless. She didn't like it much when people outside her family paid for things she could pay for herself, but this time, she didn't have a say in the matter at all.

Walking up to him, Ginny frowned, before she said, "I could have paid for this myself."

"And what fun would that be?" he grinned at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Oi are you two coming or not?" Fred, yet again, got hit with a book.

Ginny felt her cheeks turn red, but the two of them caught up with them. They had decided to go to the Three Broomsticks to get butterbeer, and it was still early in the day, so they had plenty of time before they had to head back to Hogwarts. Grabbing the package that her dress robes were contained in, Ginny and most of the pack went out of Maria's Shop and headed towards the Three Broomsticks.

It was harder than usual to get there. The bitter cold air blew in their faces, and the snow came pelting onto their coats, causing a stinging pain on their cheeks. Not to mention that the snow came down so thick that Ginny struggled with seeing past two feet in front of her. It seemed that everyone except Harry struggled with this, since he wove through the snow quickly while they chased after him. When they had finally gotten to their destination, they were all panting and gasping for breath.

The Three Broomsticks was owned by Rosemerta, a witch who seemed to have a specialty at her job. She ran the inn and pub, and she made sure that when Hogwarts students visited Hogsmeade that they all stop buy for some fresh butterbeer. And today the pub was getting quite a good bit of business, since the warm indoors was an escape from the snowstorm outside.

Walking into the pub, the six of them quickly sat down, all of them still slightly shivering from the cold and Luna got up to buy the bottles of butterbeer. When she came back, with the six bottles, all she said was, "No paying me back."

Ginny grabbed her bottle of the sweet drink and immediately opened it and took a sip. It was a calming solution to her problems; and she relaxed. And the chatting that they had had earlier picked right back up quickly, as Luna asked, "Wonder why Ron's angrier at the moment?"

"Probably because he's being an arse at the moment," George suggested.

"The Yule Ball incident," Hermione suggested as they all grimaced.

"Not very likely, he usually isn't this angry about one thing," Fred replied.

Fred, Luna, George, and Hermione then got into a heated discussion about the whole topic. Ginny didn't really care; Ron really could be an arse at times. But she didn't really want to know why he was mad; because she had an idea of why, and she didn't like it at all. But she didn't say anything; instead she just drank the rest of her butterbeer quietly, listening to the argument play out. It was quite an argument, where it got to the point that they had decided to stop the discussion altogether. Fighting wasn't going to help, especially if one member of the pack was angry with the rest of them, and they didn't want to have another angry with them.

A few minutes of silence followed after the end of the discussion, before Harry spoke up, "Anybody wants more butterbeer?"

Ginny nodded, and he went off to get two more bottles of the drink. When he came back, he gave her a bottle and she quickly opened it and took a sip. She just wasn't in the mood for conversation at the moment at all.

"Are you two there?" George asked slowly, snapping Ginny and Harry, shockingly, back into reality.

"The nargles are around, besides," Luna began, but she ended what she was going to say very quickly.

The rest of the day at Hogsmeade was spent in the Three Broomsticks. Fellow students would stop at their table to say hello, and the pack would reply with a nice greeting. The Three Broomsticks was very alive with all the students from three different schools talking excitedly and staying out of the cold. Many of them were moving as little as possible when they first walked into the pub and inn, even. But one good thing was that, supposedly by Luna's predictions that Christmas Eve should be warmer than this weather, although she didn't say how warm it was supposed to be.

When it was time to back to Hogwarts, the six of them barely fought the cold as they headed back. Again, the cold blew into their faces, except this time it didn't sting as bad. The snow wasn't pelting down as badly, so Ginny could see farther than before. She could barely hear the murmurs of complaints from the other students, although their complaints amused her.

By the time they had gotten back to the castle, like before, they were gasping for breath. The warmth that the castle provided was a good escape from the bitter cold air outside, which felt like a sudden drop of a burning summer. Hot chocolate was given to the students by the house elves, although Hermione forced a smile when she took her cup. She had started S.P.E.W., and everybody was grimacing when she did so. Harry and Ginny had refused upfront, saying that the house elves liked their jobs, and the trio of two Weasleys and a Lovegood had also refused, but they were the only ones. Ron was unlucky when he had been forced to join as well as Neville, Parvati, and most of the other Gryffindors.

By the time the six of them had gotten back to the Gryffindor Tower, all of them were exhausted. But one thing was on Ginny's mind, and they had to do it quickly; before anyone noticed. After putting her sweater and scarf away, she met up with Harry, trying to contain her excitement. "I know the book that holds the answer!" she exclaimed.

His reaction was humorous; he looked at her with a surprised and befuddled look, before she grabbed his arm, and told the rest of the pack quickly, "We're going off to the library!"

Ginny and Harry hurried through the corridors, running almost at full speed. Thankfully, they had gotten out of the Common Room before the rest of the pack, minus Ron, could ask if they could come. But they had to be quick; at least Harry had the Marauder's Map so they could see if anybody was coming their way. It was going to be hard to make sure of that and look at the book at the same time.

"Ginny, where exactly is this book?" he asked her at one point.

"No time to explain!" was all she said in reply.

By the time they had reached one of the library's entrances, they were both out of breath, but they didn't have much time. "Do you have your invisibility cloak?" was all she had to ask before Harry pulled it out and pulled it over them.

Normally, Ginny would have asked why he had it with him, but they were running out of time. It was already near curfew. Chances were they were going to be locked inside the library until morning. Harry had told her before that that had happened to him once before, in his first year, and he had escaped through a door that hadn't been locked yet. He had later run into a heated argument between Snape and Quirrell, before Filch had gone up to them, telling them that a student had been in the Restricted Section of the library.

Ginny and Harry slowly walked into the library, their footsteps not making a sound. They slowly weaved through the thousands of shelves that contained books of all kinds. They even passed the Restricted Section. But the two of them continued on until they found themselves in a tightly knit corner of the library, and all of the books there seemed ancient, but not like the Restricted Section. The books here seemed welcoming, while the books in the Restricted Section, even outside, seemed to be whispering dark things.

Immediately, Ginny threw off the cloak and started to search through the massive rows of books. Harry began to help her, and they searched through the rows of books, and Harry checked the Marauder's Map occasionally when Ginny told him they couldn't be caught. If they were caught, that would be bad. Her mother, Molly Weasley, would know, and that would not be a good at all. So they didn't say a single word as they searched the rows that held the possible books. Harry probably already knew what they were looking for, but he didn't ask if he actually did not.

Ginny looked closely at the books, some were in Runes that she knew, some in other languages that she couldn't begin to understand. They searched well into the night, but still came up empty-handed. It was well past three in the morning by the time they had actually found something.

Ginny looked at the book carefully before pulling it out. The spine of the book gave no title, and was covered in dust, unlike the others. The author's name wasn't even said on the cover, and Ginny had to blow really hard to get all the dust off, which seemed to have magnetic pull on the book. The color of the book was even stranger, as it was mostly rose-colored, and had all the eight colors of the four Hogwarts Houses: red and gold, bronze and blue, green and silver, and yellow and black. "I think I found something," Ginny mouthed to Harry when he looked up, and he walked over and peered over her shoulder.

The book had only a one worded title, _Bonds_. The cover contained no pictures of the sorts, just the colors that formed a symbol that looked like two halves of a heart on separate sides. As they watched, the two halves came together, and the book flew open to the table of contents.


	11. Chapter 10: Bonded

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: I'm really excited about posting this chapter, this is where the story drifts away from other Soul Bond stories, and please no hate in the reviews. Like I said before, I'm not making you read this fanfiction; you are choosing to read it. It's not going to be helpful if I receive a lot of hate, so if you have hate, don't read. If you don't have hate, then you can continue reading.**

Ginny and Harry read the table of contents carefully, looking for something that would hold an obvious answer, but nothing did. They looked closely, and Harry really couldn't find an obvious chapter.

_Familiar Bonds_

_Marriage Bonds_

_Soul Bonds_

"We obviously don't have a marriage bond," Ginny stated, "So should we try the Soul Bonds?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but as she said those two words, the pages flipped over to the chapter they were looking for. "That isn't right," Ginny muttered, but they both began reading what the chapter told them.

_Soul Bonds are an extraordinary trait in wizards and witches. It occurs when half of one soul is born into one body, while the other half is born into another. It is similar to a marriage bond, but more complex. The two bonded people are telepathic, and can see through each other's eyes at will. Nobody exactly knows why the two halves of a soul are born separately, but once rejoined, it is very hard to separate them after a period of time. It is also thought to be hereditary, but there is no confirmation of the sorts._

_Many bonded people are also known to be able to become animagi easily; such a trait is easily discovered among them. Their Patronus and Animagi forms are also different, as there are two parts to the soul. A common trait in their personalities is that the two of them are known to be able to work with each other easily, thus making their knowledge shared._

"So we will be able to accomplish all spells?" Harry was becoming more curious by the minute.

_The Ministry of Magic has an entire book that lists Soul Bonds, and is updated usually every few centuries, as the book has knowledge of when a Soul Bond occurs. The Book can be found in the Department of Mysteries, and Unspeakables are not allowed to look at the Book; only the actual Bonded and a select few appointed by the Wizengamot, although there is usually only one representative from them. Goblins are also allowed to view the Registration Book, as most refer to it._

_The telepathy comes later in the Bond, when it is more powerful or stabilized, although the different perceptions comes usually a year after the bond is first recognized by the two halves once again. Many have speculated this is because the two halves have actually met into one soul, although they have been proven wrong, because the two halves should recognize each other as soon as they meet. Many mediwitches and wizards have confirmed this as the truth, since the halves should give the two a strong pull to each other._

_The Ministry of Magic recognizes the Soul Bond as a Marriage Bond also, and the bride is automatically allowed into the Family Vault, no matter if they are not of age. The two of them are actually considered adults, and the Trace on their wands and themselves is lifted as soon as they enter their third year at their wizarding school. They are allowed to learn how to apparate as soon as they enter their fifth year and can get the registration to do so as long as they have actually accomplished the skill._

_In the Triwizard Tournament, if one enters and succeeds, then if any ailment befalls either of them, then the Headmasters are coincidentally charged with full responsibility, no matter the excuse. Likewise, if both enter the Triwizard Tournament, neither would be chosen as a person fit for the championship, even if they were the best for it. If only one entered their name in the Goblet of Fire, then he or she would be chosen without question._

_They are also immune to the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses, although it is unknown if they are also immune to the Killing Curse. If the Imperius or Cruciatus Curse is casted at them, they will deflect it without any troubles at all, and it will only feel like a pinprick of a reminder to them, as described by other bonded people. When tested by the Ministry in Britain, this was confirmed, as two bonded people, Quinn and Moonstone Lovegood did not react to the Curses at all. All of the aurors and the DMLE (Department of Magical Law Enforcement) were unable to penetrate the Bond. Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood were the only bonded couple at the time, so suspicions rose, although they were proven false when the DMLE casted the two spells continuously for two hours, and were still unable to penetrate through the Bond._

_The Bond is also backed with Occlumency, and any Legilimens that try to get into the couple's minds will automatically be blocked, and will get a major headache that is incurable and will last for up to a week. Only the bonded partners can read each other's minds, and anyone who tries to do so can go to the point of insanity if they try for too long. The insanity is curable, by any bonded people who cure the person, but otherwise any mediwitches, mediwizards, or matrons are unable to cure the insanity._

_Bonded people actually have miraculous healing powers. They can enter a person's mind and heal it if it is broken, supposedly, and basilisk venom, while it may feel painful and they may feel like they are going to die, once it reaches the heart the venom disappears. Virtually, they are indestructible. Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood tried all poisons, but were immune to them or had just a slight headache or rash before the five minutes were up, after five minutes, however, those disappeared._

_Not much else is known about the Bonds, other than that they can be a dangerous force to reckon with. Many have said that the couples that have bonded like this work together well, but that's it. Further research must be studied before wizards can come to more conclusions._

The book suddenly closed, and the two halves of the heart on the cover drifted apart. Ginny and Harry blinked in surprise, before they slowly put the book away. "We're . . . . Soul bonded?" Harry stammered, in complete shock.

"How is this even possible? Mum mentioned about Soul Bonds before, but she said they were only myths, and that I should worry about what I'm learning or going to learn at Hogwarts! And we share a soul?" Ginny shook her head, as if she was trying to clear her head, but the cold truth was stunning.

"But there's another thing; we're not the only bonded couple at the moment," Harry realized, taking in the truth.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it; the other day, when we were tried for the Imperius Curse. Only four of us could withstand it in the entire school, or schools, if Moody tried it out on the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, George and Luna were the other ones besides us in the whole school!"

"And if they were able to withstand it, they're bonded! Weren't these things supposed to be rare enough to be considered myths?" Ginny finished his conclusion with stunning accuracy.

Harry looked over to the clock, and said alarmingly, "We need to get to the Great Hall, quickly! It's five in the morning!"

He quickly scourgified their robes, and put the Invisibility Cloak over them, before the two of them dashed to one of the library entrances and exits. Luckily, the library was already open for the day, as Madam Pince, the librarian, liked to open the library early. Harry reminded himself to thank Madam Pince one day, when he was done with Hogwarts.

Again, luck shined upon them, as they were able to get down to the Great Hall five minutes past the usual time they got down there. Nobody suspected a thing, since the Professors knew they always got to the Great Hall around the same time, and none of the other students were up yet. Harry thanked their luck, for probably the billionth time in the past twenty four hours. Although, their luck was bound to be broken before too long, he just knew it.

The two of them sat down, and they didn't notice the strangest of things happen, but once the other students came down, they did.

XXX

Hermione was one of the brightest witches of her age. She had guessed that Harry was a born animagus before Halloween in their first year, and her suspicions were confirmed. She had been the first of the students to realize that Professor Remus Lupin, although he was not a professor anymore, was a werewolf. She always got the top marks on exams, and only Harry beat her in the DADA end of year exam in their third year. Logic, although her friend Luna would argue, came in handy at all times. Logic was the source of the world, and even magic had logic in it, Arithmacy proved that, she was sure of it, but people always argued with her about the topic.

But one of the strangest things had occurred when she had breakfast with her friends in the Great Hall, and most of the Gryffindors noticed it. She had been grumbling to herself, while rereading and studying her Ancient Runes fourth year textbook. It was a normal thing for her to do so, since she wanted to be the best in her studies; to prove that muggleborns were smart, even though many blood purists denied the fact, she wished to prove them wrong.

No, it was when she had arrived at her normal seat at the Gryffindor table, around six in the morning, that she saw the most illogical thing ever. Harry and Ginny, like usual, were sitting down for breakfast, as they ate more and they always woke up early, but that was normal. It was that when one of them would look at the pitcher of coffee or whatever else they seemed to want; the other would grab it, not noticing, and would give it to the other. It was completely absurd, something that was so befuddling to her, that even she had no explanation for it. Hermione had only seen her parents do something like that, but it was only when they were noticing that the other wanted it; these two just did it subconsciously.

Hermione wasn't the one to say that logic was worthless, to her it told every single explanation she looked for. Books held logic, and logic was all around her. Or so she thought. But at the moment, she had no explanation to how Harry and Ginny could be doing such a thing. They had said hello to her, and she had said hello back, as usual, but they were acting far from usual, far from logical sense. It confused her on how they could be doing such a thing. She had known that they were dating, and they were fairly young to be doing so, but at the moment they were acting like they were married longer than her parents.

When the rest of the pack had come down, minus Ron, who sat with Seamus and Dean and Neville, they raised their eyebrows questioningly. But Harry and Ginny pitched into the conversation like usual, although their strange behavior continued. And Hermione could only classify it as that; strange. And the pack wasn't the only students that noticed. The Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons students all noticed, too. The students of the three schools would occasionally stare at the two of them, trying to decipher why they were acting that way. Even the teachers and staff noticed. But nobody said anything, although they all wanted to ask why the two of them were acting like that.

And when the rest of the day continued, having snowball fights and such, the two of them unknowingly always seemed to beat Fred, George, and Luna at it. Hermione wasn't the one to actually play in those kinds of activities, so she just watched as she read her book and studied. Ginny and Harry were still acting like a married couple, and it surprised her. George and Luna occasionally acted like that, but she had already guessed they were dating; they were probably dating for well over a year, so she didn't complain. But Harry and Ginny were not, so it was absolutely befuddling and absurd.

XXX

Ginny woke up suddenly, feeling like she hadn't slept in ages. In truth, she had been sleeping very well for the past few nights, but had still woken up with the tired feeling. From her guess, it was just because the Bond she had with Harry, if that was actually what it was, was just trying to annoy her. But today, or this evening, was a very important day. It was the day before Christmas; Christmas Eve.

Tonight was the Yule Ball. It was hard to believe it, but it was. Tonight, the Yule Ball, thoughts swarmed in her mind as she yawned tiredly. She was the dancing partner, and girlfriend, not to mention Bond-mate, to Harry Potter. The few days beforehand were dealt with taking in the Bond news and preparing for the Yule Ball, but now she had no time for that. She was going to be going to a party, a ball, something that she would have never guessed before.

Rolling over, she turned to look at the ceiling of her four-poster bed. Of course, the designs were pretty amazing, but the reminder she had to get up for the day, and for the night that was to follow. It wasn't a painful reminder, but she didn't exactly want to get up yet. Willingly, she opened up the Bond to see what Harry was doing, through his eyes, if he was even awake. They had not been able to communicate with telepathy yet, but both of them were trying hard to do so.

_"You want me to wake her up?" Luna asked, looking directly at them, her silvery eyes questioning both of them._

_ He nodded, and she ran up the stairs as he acknowledged quietly that she was awake._

"Ginny, time to get up, it's eight in the morning!" came a familiar voice as the owner bounced onto Ginny's bed, before continuing to shout.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Ginny said in response, jolting out of bed. Luna snickered before she fled back down the stairs as Ginny got dressed for the day.

When she arrived in the Common Room, she took Harry's hand as they walked down to the Great Hall. Although they now only had one hour to eat, it didn't matter. There was always lunch at twelve, and if she was hungry after breakfast, she would just wait for lunch, although Harry would probably give her some of his Chocolate Frogs. So she really had no reason to worry at all, and she really didn't want to worry about anything yet. She was too tired.

The Great Hall was packed, although the seven seats that her brothers and friends sat at were empty, even though Ron didn't sit with them at the moment. Most of the Gryffindors knew that the pack would not get upset, but it seemed that there was a warning since Ginny was an animagus, and that was one of the things she hated. People treated her differently all because she was a wolf animagus; it wasn't like she was a whole different person just because of that. But she didn't really want to focus on that at the moment, maybe another day.

She realized that the other four had already eaten, and Ginny felt slightly embarrassed. It was her fault that she had woken up late, three hours late to be precise, and Harry shouldn't have waited on her. But he did.

The two of them quickly ate breakfast, and since each of them ate more than Ron, it was harder for them to eat all their food in just an hour. But somehow, they managed to complete the task, just before all the food, plates, and silverware vanished. But today was going to be a very hard day, and she was worried about it, and the reminder was dragged into her head as they went off to the Common Room to find the rest of the pack.

The day had continued on, and everything seemed perfect. They had yet another snowball fight, and Ginny and Harry won yet again. But all of her hope was quickly shattered when she and Luna were preparing for the Yule Ball that early evening.

Thoughts that would have scared her before were flashing through her mind. Was she going to look good for a champion's Yule Ball partner? Was she going to be clumsy and accidently do something she shouldn't do? Was she going to make a fool of herself? Like before, thoughts were buzzing in her mind, and it gave her a slight headache this time.

"Posh, Ginny, you're going to be fine," Luna smiled as she studied Ginny's expressions.

"Luna, who exactly are you going with?" Ginny asked, aware of the presence in the back of her mind; Harry was watching; he had been since Ginny had reopened the Bond.

"Silly you, I thought you would have guessed already. But the nargles and wrackspurts are clouding your mind, so I'll tell you; George!" Luna giggled, and Ginny was suddenly reminded of Luna before her mother's death; cheery and bubbly. "Now, c'mon, you have to be somewhere else with Harry; you're helping him do the opening dance as his Yule Ball partner!"

Luna grabbed her by the arm and led her down the girl's dormitories stairs and into the Common Room. Ron was being led away by Parvati Patil, and Neville was holding hands with Lavender Brown. Hermione was gone already, and Ginny knew she was meeting up with her dance partner, Viktor Krum. They were only going as friends, although Ginny had told her that it was better to go as friends then not at all. Fred was going with Angelina Johnson, a girl in his year who was also on the Quidditch Gryffindor team. George was chatting with the two of them, and he seemed to be lost in the conversation, before he turned around, smiling.

Ginny knew that they were probably already on the telepathic level, so Luna had probably had sent him a message saying she was ready.

And Harry was there, waiting for her. Their robes matched, except for the ruby red sash she had on hers. But the dark emerald green colors matched, and Ginny could only hope that tonight was going to be a better night than her suspicions. But the six of them walked together, and Ginny actually got a chance to talk to Angelina, who seemed very sociable and friendly. But the dreaded moment came soon enough.

They had to depart from the other four, and the sinking feeling came yet again to Ginny. George and Luna, who undoubtedly were soul-bonded, told them the best of luck, and Fred and Angelina did the same, although it was quick and hasty before they caught up with George and Luna. When she looked at Harry all he did was smile and he said, "Don't worry so much, we'll be fine."

Hoping he was right, they went into a small room prepared just for the Hogwarts champions and their partners. Krum and Hermione were there, chatting about the comparisons of Durmstrang and Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang were just staring at each other in a blissful way. Fleur had somehow asked the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain Roger Davies to the Yule Ball, and he had graciously accepted, charmed by her part-Veela powers. The two of them were talking about something; Ginny couldn't really hear their conversation very well.

Everything was going to be perfect, Ginny convinced herself of this. She wasn't the girl to have these kinds of thoughts, and she was determined to survive the Yule Ball.

The conversations stopped as the doors on the side they had come in from opened, and the three Headmasters, Ludo Bagman, Percy, and McGonagall came in. Percy was a surprise; she would have to ask where Bartemius Crouch was. But her thoughts about that were cut short as McGonagall announced, "It's almost time."


	12. Chapter 11: Yule Ball

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

Ginny paled. It was almost time for the Yule Ball. This was probably going to be a fun experience for her, but she was very worried. The same thoughts came back as they did before, but this time, she was even more worried than before.

McGonagall fashioned them so they were going in by school; Krum and Hermione first, Fleur and Roger second, Cedric and Cho third, and Harry and herself last. It was slightly reassuring that they were last, since they wouldn't be in the front of the line, if she made a mistake it would be less noticeable. Would she make a mistake?

"The champions are expected to do the opening dance, which is a slow dance of the sorts," McGonagall had informed them beforehand, it felt so silly to remember it now.

The doors swung open, to reveal a much decorated Great Hall. There were ice sculptures everywhere. The long tables were replaced by silver and blue tables with stand-up menus were on the outskirts of the dance floor, and the same colors of silk streamers decorated the walls. The torches were lit so that the fire in them was a magnificent shade of blue. The rest of the people at the Yule Ball were seated at tables, or were standing at the outskirts and around the tables. Overall, it was amazing.

They slowly moved out onto the dance floor, everybody watching them, and they went out onto separate sides as the music began to play. Harry and Ginny had decided to do the waltz, although the other champions were also doing the same dance, they had moved with the coordination the others did not have. The opening dance would last for around five minutes, before the next three slow dance songs came on. Ginny didn't know if she could actually dance that long, but it would be fun to see if she could or not.

They clasped their left hands together, and Harry placed his right hand on her hip while she put her right hand on his shoulder. The music began to play, and the two of them immediately began to dance; twirling and spinning as if they had done it for years. Harry and Ginny, to put it simply, danced with the elegance even some adults did not have. But the two of them did not notice that, as they were focused on each other as the music played.

The music continued to play, and when it was over and the new song played, Ginny noticed that George and Luna were the first to come onto the dance floor, followed by Angelina and Fred. Although, their dances were very different; because while George and Luna did a waltz, Angelina and Fred seemed to be dancing like they would do at a concert. Many more of the students went out onto the floor, and some were laughing while others were being dragged by their partners. Soon enough, most of the students attending the Yule Ball were dancing to the music, even though it wasn't the suspected performance of the Weird Sisters.

When the songs were finished, there was suddenly a fiery blow of music reached everybody. And the suspicions were correct, as the Weird Sisters began to play their music. Not wanting to be caught so majorly in the crowd, Harry and Ginny walked over to where Ron was sitting at, just in time to see Parvati look at him in disgust before turning to go join her sister, who had actually landed a date with a Ravenclaw sixth year.

The two of them sat down, and turned to a sulking Ron. While Harry, who had said he was hungry, ordered a French dish that appeared moments later, Ginny turned over to her brother. He might not be her favorite brother, but he was still her brother and she decided to cheer him up. "You're not being very smart, Ron. You should go and enjoy the music, there's a Beauxbatons girl looking at you," she pointed over to the blushing girl, who walked forward slightly.

"Why?" he asked dejectedly.

"Well, for one thing, although you're being a git you deserve to have some fun. Not to mention that that girl just ran away, and you lost your chance. But really, you need to stop moping."

He scowled at her, before Harry pitched in, "She's right. But really, maybe you should apologize to Hermione? We're tired of not having our friend and brother back. Stop being a prat!"

"Speaking of prats," Luna suddenly appeared and chimed in, "Percy is supposedly taking the place of Crouch, because the man is sick. And you really need to stop sulking Ronald, the Dabberblimps feed off of unhappiness. And nobody wants an infestation of Dabberblimps at Hogwarts. Not to mention the fact that your head is full of nargles, but more so than usual. Oh look, here comes Hermione now; maybe she can convince you to lighten up."

All of them, including George, who had appeared moments after Luna, turned to see Hermione walking up to them. She had pale pink dress robes, and her usual bushy hair was straightened and put into a beautiful style. She sat right next to Ron, before enthusiastically telling him about different topics, and he seemed to be trying his best to listen.

At that point, Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and they left the table. More than likely, Ron was going to be a prat again, but she didn't want to ruin it if he wasn't. So the two of them walked to another table, and tried yet again to work with the telepathy. They had only been doing it for a few days, but no luck had come yet. It seemed befuddling that the Soul Bond actually existed, but they didn't question it. The two of them tried harder, but to no success. So, the two of them went back onto the dance floor for a little longer.

At one point, the two of them had two bottles of butterbeer each, before they just went over to yet another empty table. They had dinner; even though it was close to ten, and talked about what the egg could possibly tell them. Harry didn't have any ideas, and neither did Ginny. Their only option was to actually listen to the egg underwater. Suddenly, one of the other champions sat at the same table that they were sitting at.

"Interesting," she smiled, before adding, "You two are beginning to stabilize the bond."

Both of them jumped in surprise as Fleur Delacour said that, a mischievous smile on her lips. "How did you know?"Ginny asked shakily.

"Ah, but mademoiselle, all Veela can sense it. It is interesting indeed, that there would be three bonds in one century, when there is usually one per century, and usually at the beginning no doubt. If I am correct, Moonstone and Quinn Lovegood were the last to be bonded before this century, and that was seven hundred years ago, and they're the grandparents of your friend," it was surprising that Fleur spoke with such accuracy in an English accent.

"What do you mean Veela can sense it?" Harry questioned.

Fleur laughed, "Do you not find it strange that you are unaffected by the Veela powers at the Quidditch World Cup? My cousins were absolutely petrified when they saw three bonds all at once, so they came to me. One pair did not realize it, and one of them was not there at the Cup, surprisingly. Another pair was already telepathic, and one of them was your brother. And finally, you two; both of you had subconsciously realized it. Although, the bond was not strong enough yet for you two to actually consciously realize that the bond was there. That book you read, I'm guessing you read it, since you know that it is a bond, unlike the other two pairs, who did not read the book, is read to all Veela and part-Veela. But, of course, only part-Veela has a chance of getting a soul-bond."

Ginny had a large intake of breath as she pondered this. There were two other bonds out there! One they already knew about, but who were the other two that made up the third bond? "How are you talking with such good English?" Harry asked.

"Vat; vould you rather I speak like 'Vis," she said, before adding, "It is absolutely loathsome to speak like that.

"If you are wondering, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, you're brother and his bond-mate, have agreed to be betrothed, not married. They took what they knew from the so called 'myths' to piece together to realize that they had a bond, although I have not told them about your bond, but I can tell that they are suspicious of it."

"Who makes up the third bond?"

"I would rather not say, since they have not realized it yet. Your headmaster knows very well of their bond, but not of the other two here. So do not worry, your secret is safe for the time being."

"What else do you know about us?"

Fleur smiled, before she answered him, "I know that you are a born animagus, and that you're the absolute first to be like that. All of your kids, which, unlike what your Divination Professor will falsely predict, will be more than twelve kids, or I presume. I could be wrong, though. But all of them will be born animagi. So will anybody else's children, if their parents are animagi. And yes, they will have a physical or magical part from their second form, like you."

Ginny could tell Harry was uncomfortable with that, so it was her turn to start asking some questions as well. "You said that Moonstone and Quinn Lovegood were Luna's grandparents. Wouldn't they be her great-great-great-great grandparents?"

"No, magic works in many different ways, but they are her grandparents biologically. They actually live in France at the moment, believe it or not. Last I heard they were discussing revisiting your Ministry to check the bond records; they are pretty sure one of their grandchildren has actually bonded. Not to mention that they will want to visit your friend and your godfather has asked her to spend the summer and she accepted the offer."

"You mean Luna is going to be staying with us over the summer?"

"Yes, she will be staying at Grimmauld Place over the summer."

"And how do you know all of this?"

Fleur smiled once again, before saying, "I am no aura reader, Mrs. Potter. I am just simply good friends with Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood and many more people and I am very observant. Now then, I must go, I suspect people have already noticed my absence. May the best of luck fall upon you, although after this Tournament, I am sure we will meet again someday?" And with that, Fleur Delacour left the table and went back to the middle of the Great Hall.

Harry and Ginny blinked in surprise, and he turned to her as she turned to him. "Do you think she's right?" he asked.

"I don't know. I think so, because it makes sense, but I'm not sure," Ginny answered truthfully. How could they know if Fleur was lying or not? They had just found out she knew about three different soul bonds, that she could speak perfect English even though she acted like she couldn't, and that Quinn and Moonstone Lovegood were still alive after seven hundred years! It was quite a lot to take in. How could they expect to know if she was lying or not? "I'm scared," she admitted, and soon after began trembling.

Harry looked up at her, and put his hand in hers, before they left the Yule Ball altogether. "It's okay Ginny, its okay," he comforted her as they walked away from the Ball. It was only around eleven, and the party lasted until twelve; they had time. He led her to an empty classroom before she suddenly began to cry.

They sat on a double desk, and he transfigured a scrap piece of paper on the floor into a tissue, perfectly. Harry handed her the tissue, and she blew her nose into it. "What if she was lying?" Ginny finally asked.

"Then we don't give another thought about it," Harry answered her simply, "We're bond-mates either way, and nothing can change that. And there's another thing that nobody can change."

"What's that?"

Harry smiled at her, before he kissed her. But it wasn't like before. Because as soon as they pulled apart, an aura of emerald green and ruby red surrounded them, "What's going on?" Ginny asked nervously.

The glow didn't go away, instead it expanded. It made almost like a dome around them, and Ginny couldn't see outside the dome. The red and green swirled around each other, the two different sides clashing together as if it was doing a style similar to the yin-yang. The colors continued to swirl, and at one point, Ginny and Harry clasped hands tightly. The dome did not let up, though, and the two of them could only hope that nobody was seeing this on the outside.

"What's going on?" the two of them whispered, synchronized.

The emerald and ruby finally were intermixed to the max, and a burst of a ray of the two colors shot at Harry and Ginny. Harry yelped in surprise, but even more surprising, his wolf form did not come out. Instead, a seemingly calming feeling came over the both of them, and their minds touched. Ginny felt Harry's presence, and Harry felt Ginny's. And, although they didn't notice it, they started to communicate with telepathy.

_Harry. . . . What's going on?_

_ I have no idea._

And then everything went black, and the dome surrounding them closed.

XXX

Harry slowly came to his senses, aware that they were in an empty classroom. He felt wide awake, like he had gotten a restful sleep, although he was on the ground. He pulled himself into a sitting position, and looked around.

It was very late at night, probably past midnight, and the Yule Ball was over; the lights that would've reached here like before did not, and the castle was too quiet for the Yule Ball. But there was somebody lying down next to him, and when he turned around, he saw Ginny. She was clearly still asleep, and he thought she looked beautiful.

_You think I'm beautiful? _Her voice asked him, although she did not speak as her eyes fluttered open.

_Of course, _he replied, before adding, _we've been out for a while. Wonder why nobody's looking for us._

_ Somebody has to be looking for us; we're supposedly missing for heaven's sake! What would they think if they didn't find us? You're a champion; they can't let you go missing!_

_ You're not speaking out loud._

She looked at him incredulously, before she spoke out loud, "You weren't either. Did the bond stabilize?"

"It looks like it."

Memories seeped into their consciouses, memories that belonged to their own lives, and ones that didn't. Harry could feel Ginny's shock as she saw his own, and he mentally winced. _Harry. . . . They treated you like that? How could they treat a child like that? Harry, please answer me_, she thought before she looked at him with her chocolate brown eyes. He could tell she was incredibly sad at the memories, but she was disgusted by the Dursleys.

_It doesn't matter at the moment. . . ._

_ Don't you give me that answer, Harry! It does matter!_

_ Why does it matter? _He thought icily.

She looked at him, tears forming in her eyes, and he immediately regretted saying, or thinking, those words. _It matters because you're my bond-mate. I don't like to see you hurting, _she said while memories still swirled in their minds. _Harry, they hurt you so badly. No child deserves that at all, it's wrong. We really need to tell somebody._

_ Not right now, please Ginny. Maybe one day, but not now._

XXX

Hermione sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, reading a book. It was past midnight, so it was technically Christmas, but presents wouldn't arrive until five in the morning. It didn't really bother her that presents wouldn't come for a while, she could wait. Besides, she wasn't the one to get overly excited about presents; she would rather read her book and just enjoy the company on Christmas. So she sat in the armchair closest to the fire, reading her book.

The Yule Ball had been splendid; and all her friends seemed to enjoy it, although Harry and Ginny went missing around eleven. She guessed they were probably snogging, and still possibly were. They hadn't even been up to the Common Room yet, which worried her slightly, but they were probably under the Invisibility Cloak, so it didn't worry her as much as it should have. Although, she wasn't the only person in the Common Room; Ron, Fred, and Angelina were there too.

Ron had apologized greatly 'for being a prat'; although George and Luna had given him a harder time after Harry and Ginny had left the table, which had originally surprised her. But it wasn't so much of a surprise now, since those two and Fred were all for discipline after somebody had been a prat; Percy had actually gotten himself a flat when he got a job at the Ministry, supposedly. The three of them tried to prank her once, although after they vomited slugs for about an hour, they didn't bug her anymore with that sort of thing.

So she sat there, reading her book, and listening to the conversation that the other three were currently having. They were all back in their school robes, although Angelina had stated that she wasn't tired yet so she talked with the other two, and occasionally to Hermione. She didn't mind, though, as having the company was nice, although four of her best friends were strangely missing. George and Luna had came in to change into their school robes, and then they said they were going to search for Harry and Ginny when, after an hour, the two of them had still not shown up. It honestly frightened Hermione a bit to think about the four of them being missing, although she convinced herself it was nothing to worry about multiple times during the night.

Every few minutes, however, she would glance at the clock in the Common Room, and the growing time worried her. Where could all of her friends possibly be? There were no answers to that question, which scared her even more. Her two friends shouldn't have gone missing during the Yule Ball, but somehow they did.

The portrait hole suddenly swung open, and two familiar people rushed in. One was identical to his brother in the room; the other had dirty blonde hair and was much shorter than him. "We found them," Luna panted, her dirty blonde hair a mess.

"Where were they?" Hermione asked, noting that Harry and Ginny were not with them.

"We were lucky to get out of there just in time, honestly! What were those two thinking . . . .?"

". . . . They were in an empty classroom, and were confused. And Pomfrey was there, as well as Dumbledore and McGonagall . . . ."

". . . . And oh Merlin! They were sent to the hospital wing suddenly, and Pomfrey was muttering how they looked slightly pale and she wanted to run a diagnostic . . . ."

". . . . George! Do you know what this means? We're in danger, even they are!" Luna suddenly exclaimed, and George's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean in danger? What's going on?" Ron asked, and two pairs of eyes turned to him, both of them filled with fear.

"Too much to explain, and so little time . . . ."

". . . . Angelina, you can come if you want, but we need to get down to the infirmary _now_," George finished for her.

Hermione closed her book quickly, all the while shooting daggers at her friends. What was going on? What were they hiding? What was so important that they had to get Harry and Ginny out of the hospital wing? But nevertheless, she ran with her friends, including Angelina, as quickly as they could down to the Hospital Wing, Hermione's curiosity and fear in equilibrium as they did so.


	13. Chapter 12: Caught

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: Originally, the last chapter was going to be much longer, but I decided this one was going to be the one that would be longer. Why? This chapter is going to have to be longer to fit in the explaining and such.**

_Harry, I'm scared._

_ Its okay, we're going to be fine._

_ But we've only known about the bond for a few days, and suddenly we're going to have to tell them, or they will find out! And Merlin, what about our friends? George and Luna are in danger as well! Dumbledore will check that book when he finds out about us! Why aren't they doing the diagnostic charm yet, anyways?_

_ I don't know, but let's just thank our luck that they haven't done it yet. But we can't escape! They're outside! So let's act as if we don't know why we're here, until they ask us about the soul bond._

_ Okay, Harry._

Ginny was sitting in his lap while he was leaning against a pile of pillows on a hospital bed in the infirmary. They had talked in that empty classroom for about an hour, trying to figure out what was going on, when Dumbledore, Pomfrey, and McGonagall had found them. The pair had been ordered to go to the Hospital Wing, and they knew there was no chance of escaping. So the two quickly started using telepathy, although it felt weird to do so; they didn't want the matron, headmaster, and their head of house to know about their bond so soon. They had to hold off the truth for as long as possible, they owed that to their two friends and themselves.

So the two of them sat there, with wide eyes, although they could not hear the conversation that Dumbledore, McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Snape were having outside; and it only made their fear rise. What could they be talking about? What was the discussion? How long was their doom going to be put off for? They shared the questions, each fearing the worst as they waited for the fate that would no doubt befall them.

And it seemed that their fate had been put off long enough, since Pomfrey walked in, shaking her head, as she told them, "You gave us a lot of worry Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley. Where were you two? You broke curfew, no doubt, but where were you two?"

_Stabilizing the bond_, Harry mentally answered her, and Ginny laughed in their silent conversation, but not out loud, although their humor was short-lived as Pomfrey performed the diagnostic charm. And what came out was beyond normal, and Pomfrey jumped back in shock when she saw what the ending results said. Because, two colors swirled around in a sphere right in front of Harry and Ginny, the colors swirling around constantly; and Pomfrey's eyes darted towards the two of them before she ran out to Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape.

_We're in for it, brace yourself Ginny._

_ Why do I need to brace myself?_

_ An eruption is about to occur, and I've already seen these kinds of things, you haven't._

_ I live with George and Fred, what could possibly go wrong; I've heard it a lot. I'm already used to it, Mum yells quite a lot at them when they do something like a prank or joke._

_ It's a fair warning._

_ Oh, okay._

The doors to the hospital wing swung open again, and the matron and headmaster and their head of house walked in, their faces pale. Harry could feel Ginny's worry and she trembled slightly. Harry held onto her, though, even though she knew there was no help to run away, he knew that she might try to, which would get them into a worse position. But she stayed still as still as she could, and Harry showed her he was also worried, but not scared. He had learned to not be scared a long time ago, and she calmed down slightly.

"So," Dumbledore began, his eyes twinkling, "It seems you two have some information to share with us."

"I guess we do," Harry replied, his voice calm and flat.

"I'm guessing you already figured out the bond you share?" he asked them, and Ginny spoke up.

"We already knew about it beforehand, we learned it on Saturday . . . ."

". . . . And we have already stabilized the bond," Harry finished.

Dumbledore, however, did not seem surprised by this. _Well, I guess he already guessed correctly, _Ginny thought bitterly. Harry agreed with her, they had hoped to keep this safe for quite a while, but their plans did not work. "Albus," McGonagall chimed in, "They're bonded. How exactly are we going to get this to work? They are already joined as one soul," the matron nodded when she finished, although Dumbledore looked over to the door.

"I believe we have what muggles would call 'gate-crashers'," he said, and not even a few seconds later, six Gryffindors ran into the Hospital Wing.

"We're too late . . . ." Luna gasped suddenly, although another person finished her sentence.

". . . . No! Dang it," George shook his head, while the other four; Angelina, Fred, Hermione, and Ron looked at him in surprise.

"Ah, yes, I'm glad you decided to join us, although I'm surprised Miss Johnson also came. How exactly did you get pass Snape?" Dumbledore seemed thoroughly amused at the predicament, and Harry and Ginny mentally laughed at this.

"Stunned him," Luna shrugged, holding her wand in her left hand, "Don't worry, we didn't actually hit him in the chest, I hope. Because, I'm guessing you already guessed about us," she added with a scowl.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked; her expression over-coated with worry.

"What they mean . . . ." Ginny spoke up.

". . . . Is that we're in a sort of predicament," Harry added.

". . . . And it's hard to explain . . . ."

". . . . You won't like it, Ron. We know that already, but we're not sure about you 'Mione."

"You're going to give me a headache!" Fred groaned, "Stop finishing each other's sentences. It's bad enough when you have these two," he pointed at George and Luna, "Doing it all the time. But we don't need you two doing it too!"

Ginny blushed, although Harry answered him, "We can't help it; might as well get it out now."

The three adults had mixtures of amusement as the conversation was brought to that point. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but your conversation must wait for later. However, we might as well all get comfy; I believe I don't have much time before I will have to explain this situation to Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Black. So we might as well get on with our previous discussion.

"Now then, did you stabilize the bond only a few hours ago?" Dumbledore asked, and he ignored the hisses from George and Luna.

Ginny nodded, and Dumbledore began to question them further. "And how did you find out about the bond?"

"A book in the farthest part of the library," Harry confessed, before adding, "On Saturday, right after the Hogsmeade trip. That's why we weren't at dinner that evening."

"What do they mean by bond?" Hermione asked, looking over to her four friends.

In fact, if it weren't for the bad situation they were in, Harry would have found his friend's expressions quite funny. Hermione was confused, of course, because as a muggleborn, she didn't have any knowledge of the myths surrounding the soul-bonds. Ron looked like he might have exploded, while he took in this information, his expression grave. Angelina just looked shocked, while Fred looked extremely bored; probably because he already knew that he had a brother in-law and a future sister in-law already. George and Luna had equal expressions of disgust, and Harry could only guess that it was because they were bonded, and did not want the information to get out yet.

"A bond, or soul bond, is where the soul is born in a half; one half goes into one person, and the other half goes into another. I believe muggles would call it something similar to soul-mates, although we call it a Soul Bond. Did you not notice the flash of light that lasted at least twenty minutes? Nobody wanted to approach it, and we stopped them if they tried. We had a suspicion of what it was, we just didn't know what room they were in," Luna snarled, her face still in disgust.

"Yes, well it wasn't our fault . . . ."

". . . . We didn't even know what it was . . . ."

". . . . We even got shot at from the colors!"

"That was normal," Dumbledore responded, "That gave you the ability to open up your minds; your halves connected into one soul. I believe that silver and red light one year ago was when your bond stabilized?" he turned to George and Luna, who simply nodded, "If we were to run the diagnostic test on you like we did before, besides saying you were in perfect health, it would also inform us that it could not register a second soul.

"Now, you may continue your conversation, because I must go inform Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Black about the situation, and havoc is going to rein, I fear."

He left them, and strode out of the hospital wing, and he was shortly followed by McGonagall, who looked at Harry and Ginny before saying, "Although you did break curfew by getting that book, I must say it was impressive. Ten points to Gryffindor for researching a topic so deep in the library," and with that, the headmaster and their head of house left the Hospital Wing.

As soon as the door was closed, Harry let go of his grip on Ginny, and she got up and walked over to her friends. Madam Pomfrey, only minutes later, had made several cozy armchairs appear, around twelve of them, before she disappeared into her office. Harry and the rest of his friends took the opportunity to sit down in the comfy chairs, although Harry and Ginny were amazingly small enough each to be able to fit into one nicely. "So," Hermione said, "The four of you are bonded?"

For the entire time down in the Hospital Wing, George and Luna hadn't smiled. But as soon as she said that, the two of them broke into grins. "Yes, like Dumbledore said, if you ran a diagnostic on Harry and Ginny, only one soul would appear, and the same for us," Luna smiled and laughed.

"Shouldn't you be going back to the Common Room, Angelina?" Ron questioned the sixth year.

The girl shrugged, before answering, "Professor Dumbledore didn't say I had to go back to the dormitories, so I decided not to. But I guess I'll go," and she also left, leaving the seven of them waiting for the most likely unhappy Molly Weasley.

Harry, for one, was nervous. Mrs. Weasley was more than likely to cause a big deal out of this, bigger than it actually was, and it was not going to be fun. Not to mention the fact that two of her children were bonded to Luna Lovegood and Harry Potter. He suspected that that was why Luna was placed in Gryffindor, was because she was actually bonded; otherwise she would have gone to Ravenclaw, more than likely. But Sirius, he had no idea how his godfather was going to react to the news. And it frightened Harry either way that the bond came out so quickly; he wanted to keep it a secret, a very quiet secret at that.

_I know, _Ginny sighed.

_What are we going to do? For once, I'm actually on edge about something. We're bonded, and I'm not sure how your Mum is going to react to that. But she can't separate us, right?_

_ We're technically considered adults now so . . . . No, she couldn't do anything about separating us._

_ We could always go to Sirius' place if she kicks you out._

_ As much as I hate to admit it, I think we'll be going there either way. Harry, the bond stabilized. She's either going to kick me out or she'll take it in and cry. I don't want to cause Mum anymore pain. But I don't want to leave her with that much loss, so I think Sirius' place would be best. She could Floo over any time she wanted to, and Sirius would be glad to have us. I just regret that the bond had to come out like this._

_ I know._

_ And what about the telepathy; we're always going to be connected. How are we going to explain that to her? To Sirius, even? They couldn't separate us mentally even if they tried, oh Harry I'm so scared, _the two of them weren't listening to their friends' conversation, and it seemed everybody had zoned them out, but Harry looked into Ginny's chocolate brown eyes, and he too felt the tension in the air.

_We'll get through this, somehow. I promise you that._

_ Thank you._

_ Any other worries we need to address?_

_ Yes. What about George and Luna? How long have they known about our bond? Remember those times they glanced at us worriedly, _as if to prove her point, she sent the memories to him, _How long have they known? When did they guess? Ah, so many questions, it's overwhelming!_

_ Calm down Gin, everything will be fine. We have each other, for one thing. No matter what, we'll always have each other. And for another reason, I'm not letting anymore Death Eaters or even Voldemort himself kidnap you again. You're my bond-mate, and forever, if we live that long, I will protect you. And you know something else?_

_ What?_

_ I love you, Ginny._

Her eyes widened slightly when she heard him say those two words, but she broke out into a grin and replied _I love you too, Harry._

_ Good, because I'm pretty sure we're stuck together for a very long time._

Both of them burst out laughing at this and the conversation their friends and brother in-laws, Harry mentally shuddered at the word, stopped altogether. The two of them were in an unstoppable fit of giggles, and when asked what they had said to make them laugh, Harry and Ginny laughed even harder. Finally, their friends seemed to give up with getting an answer, and when the two of them calmed down, they locked eyes.

_Ginny, _he asked her cautiously.

_Yes Harry?_

_ I really meant that promise._

_ I know you did._

_ But I have one more to make._

_ And what is that one?_

_ That if anybody tries to mess with you, Death Eater or not, I will personally hex them into oblivion._

_ How sweet of you, could I enjoy the fun with you while we hexed them?_

_ Well, I need someone to do the famous Bat-Bogey Hex that everybody complains about afterwards._

_ Why you!_

_ Of course you'll help, it would only be fair._

They did not notice their friend's, brothers, and brother in-laws conversation stop, nor did either of them care. They looked into each other's eyes, mesmerized. "Err. . . ." Ron began, snapping them both back into reality, suddenly.

"What?" they both asked at once.

"Ron! Don't be a prat!" Luna scolded, before hitting him with a book, "It's Christmas for heaven's sake!"

"What about presents? We don't have them!" Ron retorted, and Luna and George seemed to share a look.

"Harry. . . ."

". . . . Can you give us . . . .?"

". . . . The Invisibility Cloak, so we can . . . ."

". . . . Get the presents?" Luna finished.

_Think we should?_

_ I don't know; what about you, Gin?_

_ Yes, much simpler than giving the Cloak to Fred and George and Luna, so we might as well._

"Sure," Harry shrugged as he handed his Cloak to them, before adding, "Make sure it comes back in one piece; it was my father's."

"Thank you Harry . . . ." Luna smiled.

". . . . We'll make sure of it . . . ."

". . . . No worries!"

The two of them quickly put the Cloak over themselves, and the Hospital Wing's double doors opened and closed silently, and Harry knew that they were off to get the presents, and possibly some other goods along the way. _You don't actually think they would go to Hogsmeade, do you? That would be insane, _Ginny thought.

_Wouldn't put it past them; they've done it before._

_ True._

_ Well, now we have to wait._

_ Joy._

_ At least Snape isn't watching us._

_ That's a plus, I suppose._

_ Suppose?_

_ Fine, you got me. It's a major upgrade. Pomfrey at least frets over us, and doesn't dock away points when we talk or have fun. The Slytherins need to face it, Snape's evil._

"So, who wants to play some Exploding Snap?" Fred asked, taking out the cards.

And soon enough, the five of them were engaged in a game of Exploding Snap, even Hermione, as they waited for the other two to round up all of their presents.

XXX

Dumbledore sat in his office, waiting for six people to come in by Floo, hoping that the late hour would not bother them. This was a matter of serious importance, although he was worried about how they might react. This was one of those conversations he was not looking forward to at all, and he hoped that the six of them could take in such news. One of them, a young auror, probably could, but the others, he was not so sure about.

But McGonagall was also joining him in telling the six of them, and he would have to tell two of them news that he had originally hoped not to share; but it seemed fate had other plans. So the two of them sat there, waiting, the tension in the air like a thick cloud, although the tension was invisible to the human eye, it hung there, suspending. It made Dumbledore uneasy, having the tension this thick, but he had set himself up for this disastrous meeting in the very early morning, and he knew it.

Suddenly, the fireplace in his office roared to life, although instead of a normal colored fire, the fire was green, and a witch who looked to be in her early thirties stepped out of it. She had pale blonde hair and green eyes, and she said stiffly to the headmaster, "Hello, Albus."

"Ah, Miss Lovegood," the woman hissed when she heard that name, "Such a pleasure to see you here."

"Yes, well, I prefer to not go by that name, if you mind. I'm not like You-Know-Who, that foul name, but I prefer that that awful surname to not be spoken," the woman replied, before sitting down.

"And how are your sisters faring?"

She scoffed, but responded, "Scarlet has decided not to marry, saying that 'she is much better than that'. Ella married a man called Patrick Erana, and they just had their third child, Pearl. Although, I have to admit, they have done a good job at being parents. Better than ours, at least," she spat at the end.

Dumbledore nodded, knowing that the witch was not going to be in the mood for a conversation like this one, but she asked as politely as she could, "Albus, why do you want me here? I'm not joining that Order of yours, I'm remaining neutral for the War, so don't even try with me. If it's because of that prophecy, you best tell the boy soon, or you'll have bloody damage to pay for. I'm not amused in the slightest at his upbringing; he's one of my cousins! I should have been allowed to take care of him until Black was freed."

"The blood wards were too important, madam," Dumbledore knew she would be angry if he actually said her full name, "At least, until something came up, something I should have realized a long time ago. But, you're not the only one who needs to hear this story. Ah, I believe that must be Molly and Arthur," Dumbledore nodded as a tall redheaded, but balding, man stepped out, followed by a short redheaded woman.

"Albus, what's the meaning of this? Ginny and Harry's handles were pointing at _lost_ for a good portion of the night! What happened?" the woman, none other than Molly Weasley, screeched angrily.

"Please have a seat; I believe that we still have three more until we can properly begin this discussion," Dumbledore said, and McGonagall nodded, her face pale.

"Did something happen to them?" Lovegood asked, her temper just below the surface as she added, "Two students were lost! You better have a good explanation, Dumbledore."

"All in good time, my dear," McGonagall shook her head, and Lovegood scowled.

Dumbledore began to get nervous. Lovegood was not the type of woman to pay due respects, although she was right; he should have sent Harry to her. At least Harry would have known about his heritage; but no, the blood wards were important, but they had failed. Lovegood was a Gryffindor, and she was not going to put up with him today, at least. She had been even worse than the Marauders one year, and that was saying something.

The fire flared green again, and a young, bubbly woman came out, followed suit by two men. One of them had black hair and silver eyes that were haunted by many years in Azkaban. The other, his chestnut brown hair becoming slightly greyer every day, his face scarred; the three of them sat down, and the witch smiled and said, "Hello Dumbledore."

Dumbledore looked over to Lovegood, and he could tell she was trying to keep her temper down. While she had been good friends with Sirius, Remus had always borrowed her things, and he knew she was not going to be happy at all. But, the old headmaster turned back to the woman, who had bubblegum pink hair, and he replied, "Hello Tonks."

"May I ask why we are here?" Remus asked; his face grim as he looked at Dumbledore and McGonagall, his former head of house.

"I believe we have a predicament of the sorts," he began and stifled his smile as he quoted Ginny and Harry's mixed conversation, "A very serious matter. I believe that Mrs. Weasley told me that two students were lost in the castle for well past curfew."

"Could they have been doing Christmas snogging?" he asked, and got elbowed in the ribs by Remus, "Okay I get it, but still, why were they lost?"

"Now, no interruptions," Dumbledore asked, and he looked briefly over at Lovegood, whose face was in a stone mask of disproval, "The students were Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter."

Sirius' and Remus' faces went pale with shock as Dumbledore continued, "The two of them had realized something of vital importance, and had left the Yule Ball for some unexplained reasons. At one point, a flash of green and red light had come from the hallway that students had said they saw them leave from, although Luna Lovegood and George Weasley prevented anybody from going down that way.

"Our worries grew as soon as the Yule Ball was done, and the two of them had not shown up. Poppy, Minerva, and I set out to find the two of them, and when we had finally found them, they were pale and confused greatly.

"We got them back to the Hospital Wing, and Poppy had decided to perform a group diagnostic charm, since she had slight suspicions of what was going on. Her results were correct; Harry and Ginny are Soul-Bonded."

The room went dead quiet, and everybody was shocked. Mrs. Weasley, no doubt had gone completely pale-faced, and she spoke up, "You-you mean. . . . My daughter is bonded?"

"And not just her, I'm afraid. A year ago, the same thing like this had happened, except that the lights were silver and red. Luna and George also stabilized their bond, and I'm most surprised that three would happen in one century."

However, unlike Mrs. Weasley, Lovegood was not having any of it, she shouted, "What do you mean they're bonded! My cousin and my niece are bonded to two different people? And what about this third bond that you have claimed about, Albus? What are you keeping from us?"

"Rosemary Lovegood!" McGonagall scolded her, and Lovegood's eyes narrowed in disgust.

"She's right, Minerva," Dumbledore shook his head, his eyes losing their twinkle, "I've been keeping it too long. You see, you are right; you do have a right to know about who the two people in the third bond are. Technically, they were the first in this century. And I believe that the two of them are in this room right now. That is why I called you, Rosemary, is because you are bonded to Sirius."

The room, yet again, went quiet with shock. Dumbledore watched quietly as he saw their two faces go through the same emotions; shock, curiosity, and finally, contempt and disgust. It would have been amusing to watch, if not for the fact that this was quite a serious matter. "You mean I'm bonded?" Rose stammered; her eyes wide with shock.

"Yes, mademoiselle, you are," a voice came from the opened doorway of Dumbledore's office.

The seventh year girl walked right into the room, her blue eyes scanning their faces. "I believe I should introduce myself," she smiled to their shocked expressions, "I'm Fleur Delacour, the champion for Beauxbatons."

"Miss Delacour! What are you doing here?" McGonagall demanded of the seventeen year old.

"I thought I should help. Because, you see, I provided help for the other two souls, so I guess I should help out these halves as well. It is my duty, no? Mr. and Mrs. Black clearly need help, and well, the grounds are quite boring to explore. Besides, I promised my cousins I would help out the bonds if I came across them, and here I come across all three," she laughed, giving an eerie impression she was much smarter than she looked.

Mrs. Weasley, however, was still in shock as her husband watched the part-Veela explain herself. He was not charmed by her beauty, since he was married, and he held his wife close to him, telling her it was going to be alright.

"I believe we have two more souls to meet before we can actually invite Moonstone and Quinn," Rosemary hissed again, "to come here. They will definitely be happy that their daughter and granddaughter have both bonded. Now, are you all coming or not?"

Everybody slowly stood up, and Fleur quickly almost flew out of the office. "They have probably realized that their presents need to be delivered to the hospital wing by now, for it is Christmas, is it not?" she laughed again, before they all hurried as fast as they could after her.

Dumbledore never quite had the impression that the girl could be so carefree, but he guessed that it was just because of the Tournament, although he could not be sure.

The girl ran down the corridors as if she had been through them for years, when in fact it had only been a few months. She led them carefully down to the Hospital Wing, before she stopped right before the double doors, and looked at them. "All of you stay out here for the moment, I believe that they are trying to get their gifts, or they have already succeeded in doing so."

She was correct, as the time was around six in the morning, on the Twenty fifth of December. And now seven students were in the hospital wing, unwillingly, and angered. Possibly even enraged; not to mention that Mary was not happy at all at him; the bitter taste of disappointment hung in the air. Dumbledore could tell that she was disappointed in him for not telling her that the man she dated in her fifth year was her bond-mate. He had a lot on his mind; Sirius, Mary, Harry, Ginny, George, Luna, and the list went on and on.

Fleur opened the double doors, long enough for them to catch a quick glimpse of seven students looking up in shock; although two stood out more than the rest. Harry and Ginny looked beyond surprised, because each of their faces were beyond pale; almost a milky or bone white. But the doors shut quickly, and that left them all to ponder the information they had had that night. And it was quite a lot to ponder, especially for Dumbledore.

"This is ridiculous," Mrs. Weasley snarled, "My daughter and sons are in there! I should be able to go in and seem them!" But she made no move to get out of her husband's grasp, but her eyes were narrowed with newfound anger.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that at the moment," Dumbledore shocked them, and Mrs. Weasley turned to him, her eyes getting angrier by the minute, "They're probably very scared at the moment, and angry. Most likely angry at me, although they are probably scared of your reactions, Molly, Sirius, and Arthur; not to mention that Harry and Ginny didn't know about the bond until recently."

Mrs. Weasley was left speechless as he said that, and she dropped her gaze. "What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"You're his father figure, Sirius," Tonks interjected, her hair turning from bright pink to midnight black, "Of course he's probably scared, and she is too, I bet. He looks up to you, you're his godfather!"

"Luna probably isn't worried as much," Mary chimed in, although she asked, "Albus, why didn't you call her father instead?"

They couldn't say anything, not even Dumbledore. How could it be she possibly did not know? Did Luna not tell anyone about her father's death? Finally Sirius said gravely, "In the summer when the two of them went to the Swiss Alps, Xenophilius was killed by a yeti. Rosemary . . . . He's gone."

Mary's eyes widened with shock, fear, and grief. Sirius went over to stand by her as she looked at the double doors, and she began to talk, "He can't be gone! Xeno can't be! I haven't heard from him in two years, don't trick me like this! He can't be gone, he just can't be!" Dumbledore could tell she was fighting back tears as she stammered, "Luna! Oh poor Luna! We should've checked on her, we should have! I knew something wasn't right when Xeno didn't call me, but you've got to be joking!"

Her eyes frantic, Mary looked at all of their faces, before her knees gave out. Sirius caught her, and the unfamiliar sound of Rosemary Lovegood weeping came to them as tears ran down the thirty five year old witch's cheeks. She hugged her sides, still crying, as she mumbled something about being a prat. Nobody laughed at this, though, as they watched her get up, and wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her hooded muggle jacket that she was wearing.

"WE COULDN'T BLOODY WELL HELP IT, GIT!" screeched two voices, synchronized, from inside the hospital wing, and everybody jumped at the sudden noise.

A small reply came, and the two voices ranted in an exasperated tone that Dumbledore could not hear.

"Sounds just like Lily and James," Sirius shook his head, laughing, "Always ranting and fighting."

"I wonder what got them in that sort of fix," Remus wondered, and Dumbledore was reminded for a minute of the days of the Marauders.

"Don't know, how about we go find out, Moony? You can come too Mars, if you want."

Mary, although her eyes were slightly red, she grinned and nodded in reply. The double doors opened again, and again they got another glimpse as the two lasting Marauders and Lovegood went into the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore saw an amusing sight of a boy with raven hair, a girl with fiery red at his side, and a boy with an even brighter red hair color on the opposite of them. The bittersweet memories soaked into the air, bringing a somber taste to the air.

The doors quickly closed, although somehow Tonks had gotten inside before they closed, and that left them outside the infirmary. They could hear even more shouting coming from the wing, and a few students turned their heads, curiously, to see what was going on. "Hello Professor," a Slytherin waved, and a few of his house-mates grumbled and tried to push him along.

"Hello Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore replied, before the Slytherin ran out of the corridor.

"Was that Lucius' son?" Mr. Weasley asked skeptically, looking over at the darting figure.

"Aye, been more into making better friends than the Slytherins and he's been studying nowadays, or so I have heard," McGonagall chimed in, although she had been off to supervise the beginning of breakfast, she was back, "Ah," she added, "I see that Mr. Black and company have disappeared."

"Went into the Hospital Wing," Molly muttered disapprovingly but didn't say anything more.

"Well then, why didn't you join them?"

"They, ah, rather burst into the infirmary without permission from Miss Delacour," Dumbledore replied, and McGonagall shook her head.

The doors opened once more, and Fleur Delacour stepped out, shaking her head with laughter. "Vey do not care now if you come in or not, alzough vey do not vish for any fighting. Particularly 'Arry and Ginny, for zat matter, and vey told me it was okay for you to come in, alzough the ozzer vree vat came in were causing quite a bickering." The part-Veela, although before she had spoken with perfect English, now used a French accent, and a few kids gawked at her as they made their way down to breakfast, and she glared at them while she added, "Zey are 'ungry, and vish for Mrs. Veasley to cook breakfast, if she finds it alright."

"Of course I will," Mrs. Weasley stammered, taken aback by the request.

"Vey also 'ave anozzer request," Fleur added, not taking her eyes off the students, who had now stopped, "Zat you do not argue with zem. The two of zem told me zat zey were rather exhausted, but zey do vish to celebrate Christmas like any ozzer. Alzough, your son, Ron, had gotten rather upset with zem, zey 'ave calmed down now. I take to it zat you vish to see them now?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded, and the seventeen year old shrugged and replied," Very vell, if you do not mind, I am going down to breakfast," and the girl walked up to her friends, who had coincidentally came down the same corridor.

"That was rather . . . . Unsettling," Mrs. Weasley stammered.

"Well, I don't think that we should hold off the kids any longer. Now should we?" Dumbledore asked in, and the two Weasleys nodded.

The man himself was slightly nervous, as he had never heard such a request from two students, much less two Gryffindors, although you would think it to be expected. It was a much more mature answer than from a third and fourth year, and a much bigger answer than normal, although the two students had proved that they were not the normal or average wizard and witch. The two of them had proved it in their own ways, and they proved it yet again.

So came yet another bittersweet reminder of two other students, although they were not bonded, they were quite similar to these two in their seventh year, and it had amazed Dumbledore when Harry and Ginny answered such a similar answer as to what those two would reply. It had slightly amused him that they thought like that, although he was overcome with guilt a few moments later.

He hadn't caused the bond, and he hadn't caused the other two bonds, either. He hadn't caused the prophecy, and he hadn't caused the events in Harry's first three years. And yet, he was extremely guilty. If only he had planned more carefully, than Harry would have been with his parents happily, and his parents would still be alive. There were a lot of things that Dumbledore had gone over the years, originally thinking that the blood wards would work properly was a mistake of his, too. But had he known that the blood wards wouldn't work properly because of the bond; then he would have sent Harry to live with the Weasleys. But he couldn't change the past, not even a time-turner could go back that far. And it saddened Dumbledore that he had thought of Harry as probably not going into the best care, but care that would treat him well enough. He was proven wrong when the first letter from Petunia Dursley came to his desk, the letter stained with tears and the hatred from the letter clearly evident, he wondered how she wrote something like that.

"Shall we go?" Dumbledore asked, and he opened the double doors and the four went into the Hospital Wing.


	14. Chapter 13: Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: Surprises, surprises! I hope you all liked the last chapter, because I have yet another long one! I'm also hoping that the third bond wasn't that much of a surprise, if it was to you, well surprise! I couldn't leave Luna alone in the world like that! That would have been murderous for me, although she technically wouldn't have been alone; I wanted to give her that sense of family. This chapter's also a trigger chapter, and I'm just warning you, some of the parts in here are not going to be pleasant.**

Harry and Ginny had been in the Hospital Wing for hours, even though they didn't need it. Ginny found it absolutely ridiculous that they had to stay prisoner in the infirmary, and they weren't allowed to leave. Because, as soon as Angelina left, Pomfrey casted locking wards that only she, Fleur, or Dumbledore could open. Ginny didn't know why Fleur was allowed to open the doors in the first place, but didn't argue. It was best not to argue when you were a hostage.

George and Luna had successfully gotten all of their Christmas presents, and they had performed a shrinking charm to carry them all. It had taken the two of them about two hours to get all of them, partially because Luna had to gather her own presents and the other two girls' by herself. When they had come back, everybody had a good pile's worth of presents, although somehow George and Luna had conjured a Christmas tree when asked, saying that 'they wanted to do it the muggle way' this time. Then the two of them put the presents under the Christmas tree, and then joined the fourth game of Exploding Snap that the other five had played so far.

At one point, Ron had muttered that he didn't exactly like the situations, which lead to Harry and Ginny yelling at him and that continued for several minutes. After they had finished, four people had come in, and two of them Harry and Ginny were familiar with; Sirius, Remus, with a girl with bubblegum pink hair and a woman who looked very similar to Luna.

"Aunt Mary!" Luna exclaimed when she saw the woman, who looked similar to the third year, and Luna ran up to her aunt, pulling the woman into a tight hug.

The pink haired girl introduced herself as Tonks, one of Sirius' cousins. When Sirius tried to introduce her by her real name, she said that she didn't like her first name, and her hair actually turned red. Tonks then went on to say to them that she was a metamorphmagus, a person who could change their appearance at will.

Shortly after, Fleur had seen the time and said she had needed to go to breakfast in the Great Hall, and Ginny and Harry made a request for her to tell Mrs. Weasley. The two of them were still unsure of how Ginny's mother would react to the whole situation. So they had asked Fleur, both of them feeling rather foolish in doing so, although Fleur agreed to tell Mrs. Weasley. So, they waited while listening to the rest of the pack, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Mary's conversation as they remained quiet, both of their minds set into a thick tension that could not be released.

So, the two of them held hands as they awaited their fate, and the tension did not ease; instead, it settled like smoke in the air, never wanting to leave. Their hands remained clasped, and each of them breathed and thought to each other, but that was it. Nobody knew what kind of panic was going on inside their heads, and the red haired girl and black haired boy remained quiet as they watched their friends. Neither of them spoke up, and neither of them pitched in; they were as quiet as two thirteen and fourteen year olds could get, dead silent.

_Harry, I'm not sure I'm ready for this._

_ I'm not either._

_ We really only just recently found out about this, and here we are, and both of my parents know._

Ginny felt his tension, his fears, and his curiosity. When she looked at him incredulously, he answered, _I'm just thinking. Did my parents know about the bond? They weren't bonded, so they couldn't look at the book, but did they know about us? Did any of the Goblins tell them about this? Surely, the goblins would know about our bond before their death? It's just a heavy load to consider, and I've never been told about this, so I never got to think about it._

_ It is a lot to take in._

_ Indeed._

_ It just burns, not to know._

_ We will find out, one way or another. We just have to do some more research._

_ How? My curse has never been in the books, and nobody would know about this soul-bond!_

_ Why do you call it a curse? Your resentment towards it, why? You're blocking the answer, Harry. Tell me!_

_ Well, _he mentally sighed, _I guess I should tell you, but it's not something I would really like to share. I think only a series of memories can prove what I mean, but I promise you, they aren't the happy kind._

_ Who even said they were?_

_ Are you ready?_

_ Yes._

XXX

A six year old sat on a comfy queen-sized bed, although he looked anything but happy. He had bruises of shades of purple, yellow, blue, and even black all over him. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he cried, his emerald eyes literally glowing. His bedroom door was locked; he had made sure he did it himself, so Vernon couldn't come in and whip him again, so Harry sat there.

He looked up, through his window, at the sky. "Mum. . . . Dad . . . ." the boy smiled weakly, more tears streaming down his cheeks, "I got hurt today, for turning into a wolf. It's not my fault, though! I can't help it, I've tried. It's a part of me, the other half in my personality, my life. I've had to grow up already in this madhouse, but I just want to be happy. Mum, what is happiness? I know you can't answer me, but what is happiness when it has never come to you? What is happiness when nobody listens to you? What is happiness when nobody wants to hear you scream in pain? What is happiness when you have nobody to share your birthday cake with? What is happiness?"

The small boy cried and curled into a ball, whimpering all the while. He looked at his reflection in the mirror by his bed, and he wailed. His face was the worst, but he knew he would heal overnight, thanks to accidental magic. But still; how long could he continue? How long could her survive? How long could he hold onto his life? It was five more years until Hogwarts came, and even then, he did not have a hope that he would be able to keep his secret, at all. He didn't have a hope, and he knew it. But just how long could he keep his secret when the time arose?

XXX

A seven year old Harry looked at an overly pudgy man with black, graying hair, both of their expressions furious. "BOY! WHAT DID YOU DO?" the man yelled.

"I did nothing! If you think you can treat me like this, then you can't even think, you bloody git; you can hit me all you want, but you're never going to win, I promise you that. I will tear you to pieces if I have to, but you are not going to do this to me anymore! I hate you! I hate you with depths of my soul! Your son is the most pathetic person on Earth, and so are you! Both of you are dimwitted, and I'm ashamed to call you my uncle and cousin," Harry spat, his vocabulary only reached from reading books higher than his current reading level.

"You don't dare!" Vernon shouted, before he tried to grab Harry.

Just in time, the seven year old darted out of the way with inhuman speed, and Vernon snarled, "You think your curse is a gift? You monster! That tail of yours, that wolf inside you, is pure evil! You are a monster, boy! And you should be glad that we decided to keep you and not throw you out on the streets, you mutt!"

"MUTT, AM I?" Harry roared, and he looked over at a cowering Dudley. "The two of you are fools, challenging a seven year old? How mature of you, Uncle, but I'm afraid I can't allow insults to be thrown at me! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT HURTS TO BE WHIPPED ALL THE TIME! YOU'RE THE MONSTER, NOT ME!"

Harry turned into the wolf with midnight fur, and the young wolf charged at Vernon. His clothes were torn, but that did not seem to matter at the moment. He clawed his uncle, mauled the man, more like it. He bit, swiped, clawed, all the wolfish rage he had kept in now being unleashed. Harry couldn't even control himself, not that he wanted to anyways. Thirst for revenge ran hot down his throat, and he was having fun.

When Harry finally backed away and turned back into the seven year old he was and his uncle lay on the ground, covered in gashes and wounds. "You deserved it, Vernon. You have no right to be called my uncle," suddenly Harry turned to his cousin, "If you ever hurt me again, you will be next."

XXX

Harry was eight years old, almost nine. Three more years, three more years until he could escape for nine months; but that didn't matter. He was currently staring at the ceiling, and he sighed. He looked over to his clock, and the clock suddenly said it was twelve in the morning, on July Thirty-first. The boy sighed louder, before turning back to look at the ceiling, and suddenly, he started his one birthday wish.

"I wish, with all my heart, with all of my painful sorrow, that somebody out there would love me for just the way I am. . . . Even with this curse. That they would love me for having this monster inside of me, love me for having a kind heart, even after my pain. That they would love me, even with all my flaws, and if you're out there, I'm waiting. I need somebody, not my relatives, but somebody out there. I need you, I want you, but I can't have it. Because none of my wishes ever come true," Harry wished.

For one split second, he could see a seven year old, red haired girl with chocolate brown eyes and freckles, sitting up, tears streaming down her cheeks as she seemed to be listening to him. But then, she was gone. Gone just like any hope he ever had, gone.

XXX

Ten years old should have been a big achievement for a boy Harry's age. But for him, it was a small reminder. A reminder that he still had another year; another year of hell. He sometimes thought about running away, but he had no money. And where would he go? Not to the streets, that would be ridiculous. But he needed somewhere to go. The woods seemed most likely, but he didn't want anybody to find out about that. So, he stuck to the Dursleys, his horrible relatives. Only Petunia was nice to him.

He didn't usually go outside of his room, and he was always sure to lock his door. It wouldn't be really pleasant to have his uncle barging in on him. So, he sat there, inside on a very sunny and cool day. The leaves were already beginning to turn colors; something that Harry always wished he could see actually happen, from green to gold, red, dark purple, or brown. But, he didn't want to ever go outside if it meant a game of Harry Hunting. This meant that Harry was very pale, the type of pale that caused nobody to ever go back to a peach or tanned color ever again.

He was currently drawing. Drawing wasn't one of his passions, but it was something to do on a day like this. Besides, all the kids in the neighborhood swore he was a 'freak'. So, Harry had no choice but to remain indoors. It wasn't really an option to go outside, and he hated it. The growing hatred he had had for the Dursleys was only growing, although it was only directed at Vernon and Dudley. Petunia was nice to him, and Harry couldn't deny that.

Finished with the drawing, Harry looked down to see the girl he had seen two years ago. He had been using colored pencils too, although he hadn't been paying attention. She looked older, around nine, and she still had her red hair, chocolate eyes, and freckles. Startled, Harry put the drawing in his 'Keep' Box, so that Petunia would never see it, ever. It was his, to keep, until he met her, if she was even real.

XXX

Eleven years old. Harry was surprised he had actually survived until he was eleven years old. He wasn't dead, that had to be worth celebration. He hurt tremendously from yesterday, his leg and wrist hurt as the bones were repaired and put back into place. But, he could deal with the pain. He was used to it, although it wasn't a comfortable thought to think about, it was the cold truth. He healed a lot quicker now, which was something to be thankful for, but the pain would never go away until he got to Hogwarts. He had to get to Hogwarts. He had to escape this pain, he just had to. Although he had survived for this long, Harry still feared for his life. And an eleven year old shouldn't be scared for their life, but yet here he was, scared.

So yet again, he was staring at the ceiling in his bedroom. It was a boring thing to do, although he was slightly excited for Hogwarts. The cons were outweighing the pros, though, and that bothered him. But either way, he was determined to have fun at Hogwarts even with his. . . . Curse; if that was what it was. Vernon had said continuously it was, and Harry was starting to believe him. He shouldn't have a tail, he shouldn't be a half-wolf, and it wasn't natural. Even for a wizard, it was abnormal. He was a freak anywhere. The dread slowly settled in.

If he was like this, where did he belong? Where did he belong in this world of mayhem? Where did he belong if he was a half-wolf? He felt like crying, but convinced himself not to. He hadn't cried since he was six, and he had long since given up on the whole show of that altogether. Crying would only worsen the pain, so he didn't cry anymore. Crying was useless. Why should he cry if he was destined to always be in pain?

XXX

"So you're an animagus?" Hermione asked; her face filled with wonder.

"Err. . . .Not exactly," Harry shook his head, choosing to look down at his shoes.

His two friends had just found out what he was, but neither of them seemed angry or disgusted at him. In fact, both of them seemed amazed. His secret, one of his few, was out. How could that be? Choosing to speak up, Harry told them, "I was born like this, supposedly. Hagrid was actually the one to bring me to the Dursleys, he actually wrote a note so Dumbledore couldn't see, telling Petunia about my condition. It's embarrassing, honestly."

"An animagus is the closest think I can actually put this in, so maybe you're a born animagus?" Hermione asked and he nodded.

"I guess that's what I am."

Ron looked at him, shrugged, before saying, "You're one of my mates; doesn't really change my opinion."

He couldn't believe it. Harry couldn't believe it. He actually had friends now! Two friends that knew, but it was only a matter of time. He knew that. But for now, Harry was going to enjoy his luck while he still could, and that was all that mattered.

XXX

Stepping off the train, Harry and Ron said their goodbyes to Hermione, who said she would write to them, and they were joined by Ron's brothers; George, Fred, and Percy. Harry was ecstatic, though. He was actually going to see what a real family was like, not what the Dursleys were like!

The five of them continued down to meet the Weasleys and a small red haired girl bounded towards them, her face excited. When she stopped, Harry found himself looking into those same chocolate brown eyes. Amazing, was all Harry could think. Had he found her? Had he found her? Had he found the person who had appeared only twice in his mind, but he had spent years pondering on? Had he found her?

"Hi, I'm Ginny!" she introduced herself, and she smiled.

"I'm Harry," Harry whispered, his cheeks turning red.

"He's always this quiet," Ron pitched in, only to be called 'Rude!' by Ginny.

"C'mon, ickle Ronnzie-kins, we need to go find Mum and Dad!" George and Fred said at once, and the six of them went off to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

XXX

"She's giving up her soul to me, did you know that Potter?" Riddle laughed; his face in pure malice.

"You can't have her! She's mine!" Harry roared, and he plunged the sword, filled with basilisk venom, straight into the diary's binding.

Riddle screamed, and Harry plunged the sword deeper. His arm hurt. . . . Badly; but that didn't matter. He had to save Ginny; there was a connection to her that he couldn't put his finger on, but he had to save her. It didn't matter that she was his, or that he was hers. He had to save her, there was no other option. And as the basilisk venom pumped into his blood, he screamed with rage. Riddle screamed in agony again, before he turned to Harry and sneered, "I made a lot of mistakes, Potter. But in the end, everybody's a monster," and Riddle was no more.

Falling to the ground, Harry gasped in pain. Unwillingly, he transformed, but his clothes sunk into his skin, as he had performed the charm just before he felt his bones changing, shifting. And everything went black.

When he awoke, Fawkes was crying on his arm, and somehow he was alive. He was back in his original human form, and Ginny was stirring. She opened her eyes and looked at him, "Harry you're hurt."

"It's nothing."

"Really Harry, you're dying!"

"Ginny, you have to get out of the chamber. Ron's waiting for you; the two of you can escape. Ginny, you have to escape."

"No."

"Ginny, you have to."

"No! I won't; _Sanguinem Animal_!" she cried, even though she didn't have her wand.

XXX

"BOY!" Vernon yelled, and Harry winced.

His uncle was angrier than ever, the purple handprint that was healing on his back proved it. Ever since the summer before last, Vernon had beaten him until he screamed in agony. The scars on his uncle didn't help, either. Many of his coworkers asked how he had gotten them, and he had said one of the neighbor's dogs had gone mad, although nobody really bought it. Harry didn't say anything, though, when asked if he had done it. That wasn't going to get him anywhere, so he stayed silent.

So there he was, thirteen years old, and being abused by his uncle and cousin. He wondered if he was going to survive the summer, but put that thought out of his mind. He still had another four years of education after the upcoming one, and Harry was determined to survive each one of them, if he could. But today was Harry's birthday, and since the Weasleys were in Egypt and Hermione couldn't come to see him, he was stuck there. Not to mention the fact that Luna, who although would be happy if he came to stay with her, was probably grieving over her father. So, Harry was stuck at number four Privet Drive.

Harry ran up to his room, locking the door quickly. No more. No more injuries, he was sure of that. He would go to the Leaky Cauldron if he had to, but he wasn't going to let Vernon bring out his wolf any longer. His instincts were already running wild, wanting to _kill_. But he could not, and would not. He couldn't do that to Petunia, no matter how bad of a husband Vernon was. Petunia didn't like Vernon that much, but Harry knew he would scare her if he did let his lust to kill take over him. And then he would have to run away.

It was a terrible thing to have, the urge to kill. He felt it when pain struck him, and it was like a hot drink burning and running down your throat, it just made you want the cold water more. But he couldn't have the cold water; he couldn't allow himself to actually drink it. It was tempting to do so, very tempting, to just get his pain over with. But he couldn't do it, ever. Then he would have the whole world know, and he couldn't allow that.

His tail swished furiously, and Harry sighed.

XXX

He was enraged. Hermione and Ron were holding him back, both of them scared. He could feel their fear, but the lust was taking him over. "Harry, please!" Hermione cried, her grip weakening.

"We'll stop you Harry, just don't do it!" Ron gasped, out of breath, but he pulled out his wand.

The two of them pulled with all their might, but none of them moved an inch. Harry stared at those filthy blood purists, mocking him, but now they weren't paying attention to him. The lust, it was winning. But nobody knew what was going on inside his head, the battle of will and instinct. Nobody knew, except Harry. He wanted to kill Pansy; he wanted to kill Crabbe and Goyle. But he was trying his best to fight the urge, to fight the instinct. But he wasn't winning, and Harry tried even harder.

"What's going on?" a familiar voice, and Harry relaxed, falling to the ground as his friends gasped.

"They were threatening him, oh it was awful!" Hermione shook her head, before she added, "They called us those. . . . Horrible words, and Harry just," but she couldn't continue.

_I'm a monster, Vernon was right_, Harry thought, as tears tried to escape from his eyes.

Ginny bent down in front of him, and she said, "Harry, it's alright. Look at me, Harry."

Moving his head so he was eye to eye with her, Harry was lost in her chocolate eyes. They were warm, not with fear, but with hope. And she continued on, "It is okay, Harry. It is not your fault. You're okay, so can you please calm down? Don't listen to what they have to say; those Slytherins don't know what they're talking about. You're Harry, and that's all that matters. Breathe."

Harry let out a startled gasp, before he shook with not fear, but agony. Getting up, he didn't say anything to them as he ran, and Hermione let out a startled gasp as Ginny said, "Let him go, he's angry at himself."

XXX

Holding his 'Keep' Box, Harry walked into Grimmauld Place. A black dog that looked like the Grim trotted in after him, barking happily. Behind the two of them, though, was none other than Remus Lupin. He was going to stay with them for a while, since he would have to find another job. It wasn't going to be easy, but since Sirius was freed, Harry and Sirius had offered for Remus to stay at their place, and he had agreed.

The dog suddenly turned into a man, who looked to be around thirty five, and Sirius smiled. "Welcome home, pup."

Although it was kind of dreary, the portrait he had talked about was gone, and Harry was happy. Finally, he could actually call a place home, other than Hogwarts. In fact, his trunk was right at his side, and Sirius gave him the tour of the big house.

"And this is your room," he smiled, and opened the door for Harry to see.

The room had a king-sized bed in it, with green and red sheets. The walls were painted red and gold and the floor had emerald green shaggy carpet everywhere. Overall, the room was amazing. Harry felt his eyes grow moist, but he smiled at his godfather and said, "Thank-thank you Sirius."

Sirius shrugged, and answered, "I had time."

XXX

Harry was lying on his bed, enjoying his room. He had only been here for a week, but his room's walls already had his drawings up. Staring at them, Harry shook his head. Most of them were meaningless, although a few had soft reminders of _her_. He didn't know why he had an interesting when it came to her, but the gentleness of the reminders was enough for him to stare at his drawings all day. A drawing of a rose was the one he is was currently staring at.

Suddenly, there was an earsplitting crack and a flash of green and red light. Harry blinked, shocked, and looked to where the source of it came from. The source was on the bed, but it wasn't what he expected. The source was a necklace, a dream-catcher, and a beautiful one at that. Right next to it, there was a note, although Harry had no idea why the note said what it did. The writing was in cursive, although Harry could read it perfectly.

_For the two of you, and don't worry._

_ ~ML and QL_

XXX

"My wand's missing!" Harry gasped; the chaos around the seven of them overwhelming.

"We don't have time!" Luna shook her head, and the other five ran off.

"Harry, we need to go!" Ginny growled, and she grabbed his wrist, pulling him into the forest.

"Ginny!"

"We don't have time, do you want to live or not, Potter?"

"Fine, but you owe me my wand!"

"I'll help you find it, later!"

"What's that?" Harry gasped, looking at a brilliant green skull and snake in the sky.

"It's the dark mark! Harry, that means certain death!"

"We have to go find out who's causing it!"

"You don't have your wand!"

"But you do!"

"Good point; fine, we'll go!"

XXX

He was back at Hogwarts. His fourth year, and yet, nobody had found out except for Hermione, Luna, the Weasleys, Dumbledore, and Sirius and Remus. He considered himself lucky. Beyond lucky, he considered it a miracle. Nobody was going to find out this year, he hoped. He was a monster; the lust was tucked tightly away, in a cage of fear. But that didn't mean it would never come out, it would, someday. Harry was just locking it away; he didn't want any of his friends to be harmed because of it. He would have to tell them sometime soon, so they could escape before the lust came out again. He was destined to do something horrible, but if he hurt one of his friends, Harry would never forgive himself.

His curse ruled his life, although he would never admit it out loud. He lived off of the energy, off the wild instincts. And those instincts told him to run away from his pack. He would hurt somebody in his pack, and he didn't want to, ever. But did he really have a choice, in the end? No, he didn't.

Only one person could calm him, for some reason. Her delicate smile, her chocolate brown eyes, her fiery red hair; she calmed him, calmed his wildness. She was beautiful, to Harry. She cared about him, and he had found himself smitten over her. But he couldn't be. How could she love him, if he was this monster? Would either of them survive, in the end? He was destined to die, and she was destined to fall in love with him, possibly even die with him in the end. He had long since figured that out. But he needed to find a way to stop her destiny, so she could live a normal life long after he was gone.

But she still had him smitten, and Harry couldn't deny that.

XXX

They locked lips, and a blush came to both of their faces. She was his, he was hers. Harry couldn't deny it anymore, she was his only love. Yes, other girls were pretty, but nobody could compare to Ginny. She was beautiful to Harry, in every single way. How she smiled, how she laughed. Even at fourteen, Harry was amazed he was this much in love with her. The girl who could cure that lust, the girl who could calm him; and now, he was kissing her.

But she was haunted, too. Tom Riddle had possessed her with his diary, and she became an animagus. Both of them were scarred, but she had nightmares, more than he did. He saw them, and they were horrid. More terrible than his, and he didn't want her to be in pain anymore. And then he remembered the pendant. He would give her that, to cure her nightmares. Yes, he would. She needed that necklace, and he silently thanked ML and QL.

XXX

Holding the money for the chocolate, Harry walked up to the Owlery. Both he and Ginny had a sweet tooth when it came to chocolate, so what better way than to place an order at Honeydukes for chocolate? He had the necklace, so he just had the galleons for the chocolate. One bag contained the money for the humongous order, the other contained more galleons to sweeten the deal if the store didn't accept the offer. This was the way he was going to ask Ginny to the Yule Ball; he wanted to amaze her.

_I hope she likes it, _was all he could think to say about it.

XXX

She looked amazing in her dress robes. Harry couldn't deny it. Ginny looked amazing, to put it simply; and he liked how the red sash signified their relationship. The two of them, and now Harry couldn't deny it, shared a destiny, and she was prepared for whatever befell them. He was ready to, but he wasn't sure if he could do that to her family. If they died, no, he didn't want to think about that.

So, he smiled at her, and she smiled back.

XXX

They were bonded, for life. There was no denying it. They shared two halves of one soul, and it all made sense now. He was destined to die, and even if he tried to get Ginny out of it, she was bound to die with him, too. It pained him t realize this. She was soul-bonded to a monster, to a person who used to have that horrid lust. But ever since the pain in his chest, he didn't have it anymore. She had cured it that was the truth. But the two of them were destined to do things he originally didn't want her to do, but now, he had no say in the matter.

The shock had already settled in, but the pain, well, it was back. Not physically, like before, but mentally. He didn't cause this, but he felt guilty. He had dragged her into this. It was his fault. He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive himself for that. But, in the end, he didn't have a choice. He needed her, and she needed him. She was the cure to his lust; he was the antidote to her nightmares. It was a perfect thing for both of them, but each had flaws that neither could hide from the other.

"'Night Harry," Ginny smiled.

"'Night Ginny," he replied, and she walked upstairs.

Harry went up to the boy's dormitories not long after, still thinking about the bond.

XXX

He smiled as her eyes glazed in deep thought. Again, he knew, she was thinking about if she could be able to dance with him at the Yule Ball. She still didn't think so, although Harry could argue. Either way, she was going to look excellent. "You know I don't care," he said, and she jumped in surprise.

"I know," Ginny admitted, before she added, "But what about everybody else? I'm not usually like this, but I can't help it! I'm nervous!"

"Who cares what they think?" Harry asked, before he added, "You're going to be great, and there's no denying it."

She grabbed his wrists playfully then, surprising him, before she laughed, "Bring on the shackles, sir! We have a problem on our hands!"

"And what kind of problem is that?" he asked, and he started to laugh with her.

"You're flattering me!"

"I didn't know that was a crime."

"It isn't."

XXX

Their lips locked, again. It was the twenty-third of December, the night before the Yule Ball. She was fretting again, but that didn't matter. He knew that she was not going to give up the argument easily, so he kissed her. Yes, they were young, but the bond was literally making it harder and harder to separate from each other. Harry secretly wondered what was going to happen when the bond stabilized. Could they be able to leave each other for classes? Harry doubted that. He couldn't go for more than three hours without her, and Ginny couldn't go for more than three hours, too.

Yes, he had a curse, but she didn't care. She really never did. He had tried to run away from the bond, but didn't succeed. Both of them were bonded for life, however long their lives may be. And it was useless to try to ignore the fact.

They pulled apart, and she smiled at him. "It's becoming harder," she admitted, her smile weakening, "The nightmares are back."

"We're going to have to tell somebody."

"I know."

"What are we going to do?" they whispered, synchronized.

XXX

She looked beautiful, there was no denying it. They were going to the Yule Ball tonight, together. But she looked just as beautiful as she had before, if not more, in her emerald and ruby dress robes. The dream-catcher hung on her neck, going well with the dress robes, she looked perfect. Taking her hand, he smiled. No words were needed; they just smiled at each other and looked into the other's eyes.

Emerald stared into chocolate, and everything was fine. Almost everything; the lust was gone, but his instincts were not.

They still raged on, wanting him to run, but to stay. Ginny was his bond-mate, and he could never leave her.

"Are you ready, Madame ?" he asked her.

She smiled at him, and answered, "Yes kind sir."

XXX

The light blinded him for a second, and Harry's heart sped. What was going on? Why were these emerald and ruby lights forming a dome around them? Was this his fault? Questions sped around his mind, and Harry felt his hand move to Ginny's, and their hands clasped tightly together.

The lights, it was a magnificent show, but it terrified him. Harry didn't want this, whatever it was. What were these lights, anyways? He vaguely remembered what Fleur said, about their bond. Was it stabilizing? Now, of all times; fate was unkind to him, indeed. It was frightening, although he wanted to enjoy Christmas Eve; he knew that their bond was going to stabilize. Fleur had stated so; she said that all Veela knew about the bond. It was a terrifying thing to consider, but Harry knew they had no say in the matter, fate did.

He felt their minds touch and hold each other, and Harry did something quickly. He grabbed certain memories and pulled them away from her mind, so she would never see them.

And then everything went black.

XXX

The memories ended, and Ginny was pulled back into reality. _Harry. . . ._

_ I know._

_ Why?_

_ My pain shouldn't be yours._

_ Harry James Potter! We share a soul! How can you say that? Our halves have joined together, making our soul, so my pain is shared with you. And it should be vice versa._

_ Ginny, _he looked directly into her eyes, and she saw one of them one, turn to a golden color; that only happened when he let it do so, _I couldn't share them with you. I was afraid, that you would hate me. But, you demanded it. Naturally, I thought that those memories would be a good explanation. I was tortured, beaten, almost killed, all because of my curse. I'm a monster. I wanted to kill plenty of times, but you were the only one that could stop me. I originally thought that I could never live a normal life, and then you became an animagus._

_ I want you to promise me something._

_ What do you want me to promise?_

_ Promise that you will never keep secrets like that, unless you have a real reason. It isn't fair, and it will drive both of us insane. You know that._

_ I promise._

_ Thank you._

_ Merry Christmas, Gin._

_ Merry Christmas, Harry, you really deserve it._

She pulled him into a tight embrace, and she felt his anxiety, tension, and relief. He really deserved a really good Christmas for once, and Ginny knew that. She just wanted him to be happy because it was a holiday, for once.

_I love you, _Harry thought.

_I love you too._


	15. Chapter 14: Christmas

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does**

**A/N: Didn't know how the previous chapter was going to be reacted to, again. I thought people deserved to know those snippets. . . . I had them in my mind since I started EtF. If you were in tears by the end of the chapter, I'm sorry. I pictured that as one of Harry's gifts to Ginny, since he was going to tell her about them, telepathy or not. Well, enjoy this next chapter; it's finally a normal-sized chapter!**

Harry sat with Ginny on the big armchair, while the pack and his godfather _and _three other people, only Remus and Sirius were the people he knew before today, in that group, and it was kind of embarrassing to think about. Rosemary, although she said she liked to go by Rose or Mary, not both, told him that Luna and she were his cousins. How had he not known about his cousins, no matter how distant they were, they were still his cousins. Originally, it had shocked him, but now he felt a tinge of guilt. Ginny had told him it was not his fault, though, and that helped some.

The double doors that connected the Hospital Wing to Hogwarts suddenly opened, and Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came in. Mrs. Weasley was bone pale, but she smiled weakly when she saw her five youngest kids, Hermione and Luna, and her son in-law. It was a tough word for Harry to take in. He was only fourteen, and he already had in-laws. He felt Ginny's surprise too, although she was slightly saddened for the both of them; neither of them had Harry's parents to actually be there for them. Both of them wondered what James and Lily Potter would say at their predicament.

_Your dad would probably be proud of you._

_ And Mum wouldn't be?_

_ No, she would be for sure, but her reaction would probably be worse than mine._

_ True._

Everybody looked at them when they burst into a fit of giggles, but made no comment. They probably just assumed it was part of the bond, since even in the myths; soul-bonded people were telepathic. So it was no surprise to their friends, in-laws, and to the other four bonded people. Mary and Sirius seemed to get along, although both of them tried not to talk to each other at the moment. It seemed that even adults could get quiet and awkward when it came to having a soul-bond with another person. It amused Harry and Ginny, a reminder of the first month of that year, a gentle reminder, and he sighed in relief.

Mrs. Weasley had disappeared into the small kitchen that the Hospital Wing had, stating that she was going to cook a 'proper Christmas breakfast' for all of them, and Harry could feel Ginny's excitement when her mother said that. Harry himself had never really had a Holiday Breakfast; they always had eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and grits at the Dursleys. So, he shared Ginny's excitement, and added his own curiosity.

"So how did you guys meet?" Ron asked, looking at Mary and Sirius curiously, and the two of them shifted uncomfortably.

"We were sorted into the same house, Gryffindor. Xeno and I were the only two of our parents' kids to go to Hogwarts; the rest of them went to Beauxbatons," Mary answered truthfully, before adding, "The Marauders were just like George, Fred, and Luna. And before us, came the Prewett Twins. I occasionally joined them in planning pranks, but other than that, I mainly focused on my studies."

"She's an Auror," Tonks added brightly, "A bloody good one at that."

"Really," Luna asked, looking at her aunt.

Mary shrugged, before saying, "I don't know. I'm not that good at it. I think I just caught my fiftieth Undesirable, there's not just Undesirable No. 1, you know. But other than that, I guess I'm good at dressing like a muggle, but that's pretty much it."

"Yes, and nobody listened to you when you told them something wasn't right about my case. Bet they all feel like gits now," Sirius pitched in, although there was a tone of sadness in his voice.

"Wait, who were the Prewett Twins?" Hermione asked next, her expression curious, and Mary, Sirius, and Remus burst into laughter.

"What a tale to explain, although the Weasleys already know who they were," Sirius began, a grin spreading to his face, "Gideon and Fabian Prewett, two of Molly's brothers. They were the masterminds of Hogwarts' pranks before us; James, Remus, Peter and I. The two of them were geniuses at their work. Molly and Arthur actually named you two after them," he added, looking at Fred and George, "They fought like true wizards in the Wizarding World, too. Although they died in the process; the two of them left their legacy for us after they completed Hogwarts."

Harry could smell a mixture of breakfast foods as he listened to the conversation. "And you left that legacy for those three," he shook his head, barely containing his laughter.

"Funny how that works," George and Luna agreed.

"Yes, but, the other three were more focused on pranks then their studies," Remus grinned, too, "Always trying to make Severus' life miserable. That's why I was made prefect."

"But you weren't made Head Boy," Sirius countered, "James was. And Lily was made Head Girl."

"Aye, that was a good year," Mary smiled, "The two of them finally stopped fighting. They really were meant for each other."

"Just like how you were made for me?" Sirius joked, and she frowned.

"Oi, not a thing to bring up at the moment," she snapped in reply, causing them all to laugh again.

"Breakfast is ready!" Mrs. Weasley called, and the sudden reminder they were in the Hospital Wing was brought up again.

_I hate this place._

_ Why?_

_ I've been here to many times._

Ginny snorted when she heard the response, but made no further inquiry as they grabbed their plates. Harry was amazed at the platter; eggs, bacon, cheese, sausage, toast, and potatoes. He had never had this much on a breakfast plate before, and he was determined to eat it all. Harry heard Ginny's silent laughing inside his mind as they both sat back at the big armchair.

_So you've never had a Christmas Breakfast before?_

_ Never; Petunia always cooked sausage, bacon, eggs, and toast, everyday. There wasn't really a special Holiday when that plan changed._

_ Wow._

_ Yes, well, _Harry blushed slightly; _it gave her a hard time to see me not getting the other foods that I wanted, so she fixed the same thing every day._

After that, the two of them dug into their breakfasts, although they weren't messy about it, unlike Ron. Conversations continued, although they didn't pitch in their opinions about them.

"So you guys created the Marauders' Map?" Luna asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, we did," Remus answered, "I was Moony, Sirius was Padfoot, James was Prongs, and Peter was Wormtail."

"Why did you have those nicknames?" Mary asked, before adding, "I mean; not to be rude, but your nicknames always arose questions."

"Another tale that would make you all smile or laugh," Sirius rolled his eyes, but continued, "Well, it all began in our second year. We finally figured out that Remus was a werewolf," Harry and Ginny noticed that their former DADA professor winced when that was uncovered, "So, we decided to become animagi, unregistered animagi at that. James was a stag, I'm a black dog, and Peter was a rat. We helped out poor Moony here on a full moon, and we thus earned our nicknames; Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail."

"Wait, you were all animagi?" Mary gasped, and she hit him playfully, "You were that black dog! You shall pay!"

Everybody laughed again, although only Sirius and Remus knew what Mary was talking about, but the spirit was still there. "Presents," Ron shouted at one point, and he looked at the pine tree, and added, "Why are the presents down there?"

"Its how muggles give each other presents," Hermione explained, "They grab presents from under the tree and give them to each other."

"Then let's begin, shall we?" Fred asked, and everybody nodded eagerly; although Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both looked curious about this method.

Luna and George got out of their chairs and went down to the tree, and they started to hand out presents. "This one's for 'Mione!" Luna said, and she handed Hermione her gift.

It was a book on Animagi, and the other four got one too, and they all looked up at their friends curiously, "Well, we wanted to get a gift for all of you. . . ." Ginny began.

". . . . And then we got to thinking. . . ."

". . . . What better way to get a gift for our friends . . . ."

". . . .Then becoming animagi?"

"You don't have to register if you don't want to," Ginny finished, and Harry could only be glad that McGonagall wasn't in the room at the moment, "We just decided that it would be a good idea, since both of us are animagi."

Mrs. Weasley looked slightly shocked, although Harry said, "Please Mrs. Weasley? We already know where we can practice, Dobby showed it to us once. It's called the Room of Requirement, and it's not on the map."

"Please Mum?" Ginny asked, and Mrs. Weasley nodded, although her face was red.

"YES!" George and Luna shouted, excited grins spreading to their faces.

"It's a book I didn't know about until recently, it also includes a supposed Potion to reveal a person's animagus form," Ginny added, and the other five in the pack just looked more excited about it.

The gift proceedings continued, and everybody was surprised at what they got, especially since Harry and Ginny worked together to everybody their presents.

Hermione got a few more books on Arithmacy and Runes, plus quite a bit of sweets. She also got a necklace, although it was a Gryffin, celebrating their house, and fudge from Mrs. Weasley. She was also surprised to get a purple Weasley sweater.

Ron got a maroon Weasley sweater, sweets, and a book on Transfiguration; and a watch, which told time, but had a Gryffin roaring on the frame. He also got Mrs. Weasley's infamous fudge.

George and Luna both got Weasley sweaters, although they were blue, sweets, fudge, books on Transfiguration and DADA, and a watch and necklace, both with a Gryffin on them.

Fred got a gold Weasley sweater, fudge, and a book on Charms, and a Gryffin watch. To his shock, he got a copy of the Marauder's Map, which Harry explained, "We only got it done two nights ago. Remus and Sirius helped."

Mary got sweets and a Celtic necklace, from Luna, who said she had gotten gifts for all her cousins and uncles and aunts; and Tonks got sweets and a very advanced book on a DADA topic, all from her cousin Sirius.

Remus got a gift from Harry and Ginny, which was a piece of metalwork that had a wolf howling at a full moon on it.

Sirius got a watch, although it had a Grim on it rather than a Gryffin and he laughed at that. He also got sweets.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley got some muggle trinkets, although Molly didn't like that much, but she was happy to get a book on Charms and Cooking.

Finally, Harry and Ginny were the only ones left who had not opened their presents. Both of them got Weasley sweaters, although somehow they were both green, and Harry's had a dragon on it while Ginny's had a red wolf on it. Fudge was given to both of them, along with an assortment of sweets. Harry had gotten teary eyed when he had unwrapped three plush animals which were a wolf, a dog, and a stag. He had also gotten a plush wolf from Petunia. And he got a promise bracelet from Ginny. However, there were two presents left, both signed to Ginny, from Harry. She looked at him incredulously, but he made sure to block the memories away from her on what she got from him.

_Harry! What did you get me?_

_ It's a surprise._

He could tell she was slightly angry, although she made no comment on it. Instead, she grabbed the largest one and slowly opened it. She shrieked in surprise. "You didn't!" she gasped, and she took the Firebolt out of its paper.

"It's brand new," he answered her, before adding, "Aren't you going to open the other one?" Everybody laughed, again.

Ginny made a face at him, but picked up the smallest one, which looked like a book, although she slowly tore off the paper. Whatever she was expecting, it wasn't what was in there, and she let out a gasp of surprise as she looked at it.

It was the same drawing from Harry's memory of when she was nine years old, except it had more drawings around the original work. The small added drawings were from when she was eleven to now. He had one of her laughing, the day he had fallen off his broom in his third year, after they had had their first kiss, and what she looked liked when she had tried on her Yule Ball dress robes. "Harry. . . ." she whispered, and everybody was quiet, looking at them.

She turned the picture, which was in a redwood frame, and Harry saw Hermione's mouth hung open, as well as most of the people in the room. "Blimey mate, how did you get that?" Ron asked.

"I drew them myself," Harry said and shrugged din reply, not needing any further explanation.

"You drew them?" Hermione asked, and Harry nodded.

"Hold on, there's one more thing," he added, and muttered a spell, and at once, the drawings around the original began to move. In some of them, a boy with messy black hair and brilliant green eyes joined one of them, and Ginny gasped again.

_Harry. . . . I don't know what to say._

_ No need for a thank you._

_ I know._

_ Although, there is one more thing I would like to give to you._

_ And what is that?_

He looked at her, and finally he thought, _I love you, Ginny Molly Potter, nee Weasley. It took me forever to realize it, but I do. Yes, we might be young, and yes, we might have a bond, but that doesn't matter. Because even if we didn't have a bond, I would fall in love with you eventually; and if the time comes, I would give up my life for you. And we might be considered married, but you are much more to me than just my bond-mate. I love you, Gin._

_ I love you too, Harry James Potter. And you better not forget that!_

_ How could I?_

_ Good point. But I love your gift Harry, I really do. Not as much as I love you, but I love your gift. I love your flaws, your imperfections, they make who you are. And you don't have a curse, you have a talent. Harry, you were hurt by terrible people, but they were the monsters, not you. If you even think for one second that you're a monster, then I will tell you that you are wrong. Everybody here would tell you that you're wrong. Please, never forget that._

_ I won't._

_ Good._

The two of them went back to celebrating with their friends and family, and the joyous celebration continued. At one point, Mrs. Weasley fixed some hot chocolate for everybody, although the Hospital Wing was pleasantly warm, nobody really cared. It was strange; to be celebrating in the Hospital Wing, but Harry finally had his family with him. Yes, they weren't his parents, but they were his family. His true family and Harry couldn't deny that. For once, Harry actually found happiness. Yes, he had it before, but now he truly had it. It was a strange feeling to have.

Ginny shared his content, and the two of them didn't leave their armchair for the rest of the morning. _You know, _Harry thought to her, _I finally have a family._

_ We were always your family._

_ Yes, but I now have my true family. I didn't feel like you guys were that much of my family beforehand, and yes, we're bonded, but I finally have a true family._

Shortly before lunch, the double doors opened, and none other than the headmaster Albus Dumbledore walked in. His expression, it was befuddling. He still had that twinkle in his eyes, although he otherwise had an almost grave expression.

"Professor, what is it?" Harry and Ginny asked, both of them jumping out of their chair.

"Nothing is wrong, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," the Weasleys, minus George and Fred, looked alarmed, "We just have to make some plans."

"What plans?" Harry and Ginny demanded.

"I believe we just have to make some plans, on how we're going to plan this bond thoroughly," Dumbledore replied, and Harry and Ginny shared a surprised look.


	16. Chapter 15: Preparations

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: the French in here has a rough translation to follow it, but the translation is not exact. I'm just warning you, so I don't get any hate in the reviews about my French not being good. I'm actually using a Translator, since I can't understand any language except English.**

"What do you mean plan this bond thoroughly? It already happened!" Harry asked icily.

Hermione, however, seemed to catch on. "Relax you two! He just means that they're going to have to plan your life while at school!"

"Miss Granger is correct," Dumbledore smiled, and Ginny and Harry sat down again, "What I think you two fail to realize is that eventually, it will become harder to leave each other's side."

"That already happened. . . ."

". . . . We can't leave one another for more than a few minutes now. . . ."

". . . . It used to be for an hour . . . ."

". . . . But it gradually got worse."

The Weasleys, Luna, and Hermione had gone silent by then, although the other four were talking animatedly about the Marauders. For some reason, Tonks was fascinated by them. She was listening intently, and her hair changed colors from red to gold to blue and back to pink again. "What do you mean by Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" Mrs. Weasley stammered, her eyes growing wider by the second, and Ginny and Harry felt blood running up to their cheeks.

"Mrs. Weasley, although you may know about soul bonds, there is more to them than just the myths," Dumbledore began, "By magical law, Harry and Ginny are considered married. The DMLE and DoM view bonds such as theirs as marriage bonds, although they are far more than that. They share a soul, minds, memories; even their bond is strong enough to hold the two of them. Their bond only stabilized because they were prepared for marriage. Although they wouldn't have done so, they were mentally prepared for marriage, and thus the bond was stabilized."

_Married; we're married at fourteen and thirteen._

_ I thought we already discussed this._

_ I know; it's just now Mum knows._

_ And what do you mean by that?_

_ You'll see._

"I won't have it!" Mrs. Weasley growled, her eyes now narrowed to slits, and she was red-faced.

"I'm afraid we can't stop it," Dumbledore said calmly, before adding, "If we did, both of them would be dead, as well as if we tried to stop George and Luna's bond."

_We would die?_

_ That's not very. . . . Pleasant to think about; _Ginny thought to Harry, although he still remained in shock.

Mrs. Weasley, who looked to be in a terrible rage, turned around and walked briskly out of the Hospital Wing; Mr. Weasley followed her, although he didn't look angry, just surprised. "Well that was nice, Mum seems to be upset," George sighed.

"Err, Professor, what does this mean for us?" Luna asked, jabbing George in the ribs as she did so.

"Well, Miss Lovegood, it's up for you four to decide what exactly you want to choose. Since your bond is halted in a betrothal at the moment, that does leave some options for you. You could choose to stay in your year, which would be recommended, although you could go all the way up to Mr. Weasley's year, as long as you took the exams, including the OWLS," Luna groaned at this, while George just shook his head, "And I suppose you could try apparition two years from now, rather than three or four, if you decide to not join Mr. Weasley.

"However," Dumbledore turned over to look at Harry and Ginny, "I believe your choices are more restricted. As you can see, the bond has recognized you two as married, and so has the Ministry of Magic. Ginny could join you in the fourth year, or she could stay in her own. But, I'm afraid that the bond will probably no longer permit you two to leave each other's side as often."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked skeptically.

"The bond draws the two halves together forcefully," George spoke up, much to everyone's surprise, "Often times leading one or the other to tell the truth to their bond-mate. I believe that the halves recognized each other during the Chamber of Secrets, although they didn't formally join each other until last night. But, the halves sometimes join temporarily, causing them to see what the other person is doing. Most people saw us when it first happened as just a sudden wave of nausea."

"And how do you know this much about the bond?" Hermione questioned before adding, "Shouldn't the effects be less since you two are considered betrothed?"

"Yes, they are," Luna dismissed calmly, "But, we have been watching these two carefully. And they have wanted to stir up quite the trouble. You don't know how many times we had to cover up for them," she finished.

_They've been spying on us!_

_ I feel betrayed; no I'm not joking, Ginny! I really do. How did they watch us, when they weren't awake for half the time?_

_ No idea._

"Now, if I may go back to my original point," Dumbledore chided, "If I may say so, it would be unwise to leave your sleeping arrangements as they were before. Mr. Weasley pointed out; the bond is trying to push the two of them forcefully together. And although Mrs. Weasley will wish to object, I think it best that you two no longer sleep in separate dorms."

"You mean they'll be sleeping together?" Ron half-shouted, his face going pale white; Hermione swatted him with her new book, telling him to settle down.

"Well, let's look at it this way dear brother," George and Fred spoke up, proving that some of their identicalness wasn't gone, "They can't help it, it's the bond."

"I'm afraid so, if you want them to be well," Pomfrey suddenly appeared, "They experience physical pain and mental pain when away from each other for too long. I had them both come in here at least once during the beginning of the school year."

"You guys came down here at the start of term?" Hermione asked, although she didn't seem surprised by this.

_We seem to be falling off topic, _Harry thought to Ginny, and he felt her agreement.

"If we may get back to the general discussion, I believe Mr. and Ms. Potter, there is a room's entrance between the boy's and girl's dormitories staircases, although it hasn't opened for anyone who wasn't bonded beforehand."

Yes, there was a room that wasn't given a label, and was somehow between their dormitories. At first, it had surprised Harry to find that room, but overtime, he had just chosen to accept it. He figured it was probably a storage room of the sorts, but Harry wasn't ever sure that that was correct. He didn't question it, though, since that was one of the least of his concerns, until now. Now, they had to wonder if the door would open to them or not.

"Now then," Dumbledore said, "I would like to know the options you chose, because I'm going to have to work out this predicament."

Harry honestly didn't know whether to burst out laughing or to try to keep a calm expression. This was a very serious matter. _What should we choose?_

_ You always wanted to go to Hogwarts before Ron._

_ I know, but he might be angry at me._

_ So what; he can't do anything about our decision._

_ Do you want me to?_

_ Yes._

"We want her to join our year," Harry finally decided, "She already knows as much as I do, and she can take the third year end exams."

Somehow, Dumbledore did not seem surprised by this, and he turned to look at George and Luna. He looked over at her, and she nodded, and George said, "She'll stay in her own year."

"Very well, it seems that I best be going, to collect certain papers," Dumbledore nodded, and the headmaster left the Hospital Wing.

The rest of Christmas Day went by fairly quickly. The seven kids enjoyed their gifts, while Hermione commented on how she could make the potion for revealing one's animagus form. Everybody seemed overly excited about this, so Harry and Ginny made no comment. In fact, the two of them were fairly quiet for the whole day. Although, they listened to their friend's conversations, they were also having another one inside their minds, just between the two of them. Nobody knew exactly what they were talking about, though, and that seemed refreshing, since Harry and Ginny were having a worried conversation about their future.

_Are we really destined to die?_

_ I don't know Ginny, I really don't know. On one hand, I know Dumbledore's keeping something from us, and he has been for a long time. While I know that, there's still another thing. We don't exactly know what he is keeping from us, and it is honestly driving me insane. But on the other hand, we have a bond. And when we read that book, we didn't really well know what it meant, did we? Well, now we know. Whenever there are soul-bonds, it means something is either in store for the Wizarding World or the soul was somehow split apart. Honestly, I don't think Dumbledore realizes just how much danger we're in, what you're in._

_ Well, if I know one thing for sure, it's that I'm not letting you fight alone. No matter if it's up against Voldemort himself or just up against Death Eaters, I'll fight with you. Dumbledore was right; one day, Voldemort will return. Whether it is a year, ten, fifty, or five hundred, he will return one day. And I think we're doing the right thing by worrying about it._

At around dinner, the other five left, although Pomfrey did not allow Harry and Ginny to leave. Instead, Dobby brought up dinner from the kitchens for them. Ginny thanked him, while Harry asked, "Dobby, how's Winky doing?"

The small house-elf's expression went from happy to grave as he said, "She is not doing well, sir. Poor Winky is giving herself a hard time, she is, and we've been trying to help her, but she is too sad."

Dobby disappeared with his magic a few seconds later, leaving Harry and Ginny to eat. Although they were both quite upset that they couldn't eat with their friends, both of them were happy enough that they fell asleep, still in their clothes from the day before. Truth be told, they were exhausted, and the two of them needed a good night's worth of sleep.

XXX

Fleur sat with her Beauxbatons friends at the Ravenclaw table, enjoying the evening feast. One of the other Beauxbatons students who had tried out for the Triwizard Tournament, Olivier Roux, sat next to her, and she found it quite bothersome. Originally, he had flirted with a bonded person, a great shame in the magic society. Although he did not know why, she was quite angry with him.

"Vous semblez très en colère contre moi, pourquoi," he asked, "_You seem very angry with me, why?_"

He wasn't really affected by her beauty, since he had a drop of Veela blood in him anyways, but he was the type of person to do things unknowingly that somehow acted against him. "Il n'y a rien de vraiment," she replied, "_It's nothing really._"

"Vous mentez," he replied stiffly, "_You are lying._"

"Partiellement, oui, mais j'essaie de ne pas," Fleur retorted, "_Partially, yes, but I'm trying not to._"

"There is no reason to be angry with me!" Olivier spat.

"Oh vraiment, Olivier, comment pourriez-vous être si aveugle? Est-ce que vous essayez de vous mettre dans un désordre?" She scoffed, "_Oh really, Olivier, how could you be so blind? Are you trying to get yourself in a mess?_"

Finished with her dinner anyways, Fleur stood up, and angrily walked away. Olivier was rude, nosing in on other people's business! It wasn't exactly hers anyways, but she at least had the decency to ask nicely and do her duty to it! Taking her mind off the subject, she began to think about the Triwizard Tournament. What was the second clue? Indeed, it was going to be hard to decipher exactly what it was, the golden egg always made a screeching noise whenever she tried to open it, but maybe she was missing something. Maybe she would check this school's library, since she had now refused any help from Madam Maxime.

Walking around the school, Fleur suddenly ran into a woman with pale blond hair and green eyes. "Oh hello there, Mrs. Black," the part-Veela greeted the woman politely.

"Well, that's better than my original surname," Mary smiled, before she said, "I was just going to see Dumbledore; supposedly there are more matters at hand than what meets the eye."

Fleur smiled, "Then I guess I will let you be on your way then."

Mary left quickly, and Fleur went back to exploring the castle. She actually meant it quite literally, the castle was boring. Sure, there were the paintings, but what fun were they? No fun at all, to tell the truth. It wasn't like Beauxbatons at all. No glass statues, no blue fires, no wonderful decorated walls. She missed her school in France. Fleur walked through the corridors on the seventh floor, not really putting a care in the world about the whole incident that had gone on last night. Yes, she had already opened her gifts, but she really didn't care. Instead, she had just been thinking about how to help the three souls of six people. Three soul bonds were really quite rare, and now there were four soul bonds in the entire world! It was funny how fate loved to play things out, although it was quite annoying.

XXX

_Harry and Ginny found themselves in a good-sized living room. A man with messy black hair was sitting on a couch, along with a woman with dark red hair. The woman had a bundle in her arms, and she was whispering something they couldn't hear. The woman lifted the bundle, and the bundle was actually a baby around a year old, although he was napping. The boy had messy black hair, just like his father. He gurgled in his sleep, and two smiles spread to his parent's faces._

_ The fireplace suddenly roared to life, and in a flash of green, two figures suddenly came out; a woman and man. James and Lily Potter looked up, both of their expressions surprised, and they looked at the woman and man. The woman had pale blonde hair and silvery eyes, while the man had dirty blonde hair and forest green eyes. Both of them looked no older than seventeen, although Harry and Ginny got the impression they were much older. James suddenly got out of his seat, and pointed his wand at the two of them, demanding, "Who are you?"_

_ "We mean no harm, Mr. Potter, we really don't," the woman smiled, before adding, "Please sit down, we really do have much to explain, and I'm afraid we have such little time."_

_ James sat down, right next to Lily, and the baby I her arms stirred in his sleep. Harry and Ginny were shocked to realize that was a very young Harry, without that darned scar! But, they didn't have a chance to discuss this, as the man spoke up, "I believe we forgot to introduce ourselves properly. We're Quinn and Moonstone Lovegood; although I have a feeling you didn't know that, surprisingly."_

_ "And why are you here?" Lily asked softly, her emerald orbs looking at the two calmly but suspiciously._

_ "I believe we saw something that originally shocked us, happening so long after we were born," Moonstone shook her head sadly, "And it brings me to such a great shame that young Harry here has to endure it, but you see, we thought it would be fair to warn you. Mr. Potter, have you heard of a Soul Bond before, or is this completely new to you?"_

_ James paled, and Lily paled likewise. Although, Quinn picked off right after her, "Yes, well then, I'm assuming you both have; surprising indeed, since muggleborns usually do not know the myths. Very surprising indeed to see this, although I'm afraid we're running out of time. Well, if you have not known about us, we have Soul Bonded, and we were originally born in 1266 and 1267._

_ "Of course, we never expected to see a Soul Bond, after about five hundred years, since we had almost given up hope. By 1906, we had our first child, Scarlet Lovegood. It wasn't until 1958 that we had our next, Xenophilius. I believe you know him, our proud Ravenclaw. And then we had Topaz and Ella in 1959. Although, we had moved to France and they were taught their education there; and then, in 1960, we had our youngest, Rosemary Lovegood, I believe you know her very well._

_ "Yes, but let's get back to more important matters. There are now three Soul Bonds in the world, and a destined fourth. The two and the third one about to occur are all in this century. Our little Rose actually is one half of the first bond, and then there is one more; young little Harry here and newborn Ginevra Weasley."_

_ "You mean our son is bonded with the only Weasley girl?" James asked, and he looked at the two, who although were much older than him, still looked only seventeen._

_ "I'm afraid so," Moonstone shook her head, "And Dumbledore does not know of this, because he only checked Rose's records in 1961. But, we will try to make sure he does not know of this bond. Ginevra's brother, George, has also bonded, but whoever his bond-mate is has not been born yet. Our suspicions are that Klara Lovegood, Xeno's wife, is pregnant with a girl, and she is due tomorrow, October 25__th__. We only told you this information because that the Dark Lord, although you already know this, is planning to kill your son, not the Longbottom boy. Dumbledore has not told you everything, I'm afraid, and even more so that your fate rests in his hands. And sadly, although Dumbledore may be considered 'light', he thinks of people as chess pieces. We must go now, and I'm hoping we can one day see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Potter."_

_ And with that, Moonstone and Quinn Lovegood left through the Floo that they had somehow gotten through the Fidelius Charm. And the green fire turned into a green light, and a woman screamed Harry's name._

_ And then everything went black._


	17. Chapter 16: Tests

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: And yet another chapter posted. I can't believe it. We're already at Chapter 16! Most of you are quite quiet, but that's alright. Just as long as you enjoy the story, I'm fine with it.**

Ginny woke up to find emerald green eyes staring at her. Her eyes widened in shock, and Harry Potter just grinned at her. _Good morning Mrs. Potter._

Memories of yesterday flooded back to her mind, some shared by him, others shared by her. It was almost a perfect Christmas, except Dumbledore had come in and ruined it. She remembered eating dinner, and then, that dream. But, she didn't remember getting ready for bed. _Oops. . . ._

Harry burst out laughing, and she felt her cheeks redden. He was still in his school robes from the day before last, since George and Luna had got them when they were collecting the gifts. Needless to say, both of them had been exhausted last night. And Ginny felt herself laughing too.

_It's still such a weird thing to realize._

_ What is?_

_ Although it's just been a few days, and I know I shouldn't be used to it yet, it is honestly just unsettling to be called Mrs. Potter._

The dream popped into her mind again, and although they had had dreams like those before, it was unsettling to know that Quinn and Moonstone Lovegood, Luna's grandparents, were born in the mid-1200s. That was a long time; seven hundred years. Were they just imagining that dream? Did they imagine the rest? Although it seemed unlikely, they couldn't very well ask Sirius or Remus beforehand, since they originally hadn't wanted anybody to know about the bond. But now, could they? Would they? How could they ask such a question?

_I know, _Harry thought to her.

_Where are our friends at? It seems so late in the day._

_ Sleeping in?_

_ Maybe, _Ginny shook her head.

The two of them stayed still for a few more minutes, before they found that Dobby or one of the other house elves had actually given them some spare school robes, so they took turns going to the restroom to change. When they were done, they sat on their hospital bed, waiting for Pomfrey or Dumbledore to come down and deliver some interesting news or for their friends to come down to visit them. Sadly, nobody did for around two hours. Ginny somehow had Exploding Snap cards, so the two of them enjoyed the game for the two hours they had to endure.

When the doors finally did open, Dumbledore walked in, and he told them to follow him, as Ginny would be taking the third year end exams. And thus, the two of them followed Dumbledore to an empty classroom, where he set up wards so that nobody could come in without his permission. And then Ginny began the third year end exams.

XXX

Dumbledore roamed his office, trying to collect the third year end exams as he waited patiently for two people he had only met once before. These two people were much older than him; even older than late Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. And yet, they looked much younger than him, and Dumbledore, although he had never feared Voldemort or Grindelwald, now felt a little nervous himself. These two people had a little bit over seven hundred years to gain knowledge of the Wizarding World, and anybody would say they were experts of magic and the magical world itself.

Although the year end exams usually always were handled by house elves and other Professors, Dumbledore had always had some extra end year exams in his office, just in case of a Soul Bond. It wasn't exactly surprising to him that a bond would happen in this century, but still, to have three at once in one century was very unsettling. Three souls, six halves, one prophecy; Dumbledore shuddered to think about that prophecy. He had partially lied about it, to tell the truth.

There were actually two verses in the prophecy, and Dumbledore did not like the second one. Part of it had already happened, and he hadn't revealed how shocked he was when he realized it. The first verse, part of what Severus Snape had heard, was the one he had told about, but he did not tell anybody, not a living or dead soul, about the second verse. And it bothered him that the prophecy was already starting to come true, when they still had so much time to prepare. But it seemed that fate had other plans, and that was where Dumbledore didn't have any control, and he didn't like it.

Originally, he had thought of Harry as a weapon. A weapon, yes, sadly, but he didn't think that way when young Harry first came to Hogwarts, battered and bruised. What slowly changed his mind were those letters. He had ten of them; telling ten years of Harry's life. Ten letters that yelled at him through their neat writing. Ten letters that told him that Petunia hated him. Ten letters saying that although Petunia could partially hide Harry, he still almost died at least once every single year; frankly, Dumbledore had never seen Petunia Dursley in such a rage before.

Finding all of the papers, he went over to his desk and put them into a neat stack. Although, they felt sort of out of place with their neatness in his office, that didn't matter. Like before, shooting emerald green flames came from the fireplace and the two people he had dreaded to meet stepped out. They walked fluently, never missing a beat, and it was quite intimidating to see such synchronization that Dumbledore had seen with four particular Gryffindors, although they hadn't realized it.

The two sat down before Dumbledore, their eyes narrowing slightly. The woman, who resembled a Gryffindor, except she didn't have dirty blonde hair, asked in an almost American-like accent, "Why did you decide to call us, Dumbledore; we do not particularly like to be called at sudden urgency. But we complied, so I think we deserve some sort of explanation, do we not?" She did not signify herself, but rather the two of them, and Dumbledore saw the fiery suspicion in their eyes.

"Well, Mrs. Lovegood, I believe we have much to discuss about four students," he spoke, and their eyes widened slightly, although they did not say anything as he continued, "Four students at Hogwarts are soul bonded, and I believe that they may need your help, as well as two adults. I believe you might know about them; your daughter Rosemary and Sirius Black, granddaughter Luna and George Weasley, and Harry Potter and Ginevra Potter nee Weasley, may need your help."

"And why should we help them, Dumbledore?" the man asked in a cold tone, "Although yes, we would be glad to help them, why should we? You have certainly been unwise Dumbledore, treating your students like chess pieces! While it may startle you, Albus, we are not playing war, yet. There will be a time when war arises at the hands of the Dark Lord and his followers, but we have discussed that we wish to take no part in any of this! What do you expect us to teach them?"

"I know your opinions, Quinn, but I'm afraid you cannot hide for long. Voldemort will want to kill you, and the other six. Especially Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Dumbledore said in a calm and flat tone, "You are correct, he will rise again, but the Potters cannot and should not be at his mercy. In fact, Ginevra's mother is not too pleased with me either, considering that they are now married. But fighting will get us nowhere in this discussion."

"Don't toy with us, we know the circumstances. We have lived much longer than you, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, but that doesn't mean you can act this way, because the young are always foolish. Quinn and I haven't been pleased with you for a long time, and neither has any of our family except Xeno and Klara, but they have perished, sadly. While you may think that we are going to have a calm manner about this, we do not. You have made many mistakes, Dumbledore, and one of them took your sister and turned your brother against you. Ariana wouldn't want her memory stained like this," Moonstone Lovegood scowled, and Dumbledore mentally winced.

"They need guidance and learning, but they will not understand the situation without it. I am not asking you myself, but rather I am asking you on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They are probably worried and distraught, probably like your own parents when they first found out about your soul bond. They need to learn, and I am not sure if I or anybody else can help them," Dumbledore shook his head, clearly not happy with the idea of begging, but this was a rather troublesome situation.

"And what is the price, Dumbledore? Our lives, our family; there is no reason to beg, Albus, but we do not like the idea of agreeing about anything with you. Your opinions towards the six of them, the Weasleys, and our family may have changed, but what about everybody else? Nobody in the world is your slaves, and they never will be; the greater good isn't always good. We have little family left, and we do not wish to see us all perish! Klara and Xeno have already, and Scarlet will go soon, she is nearing her ninetieth birthday! The Lovegood's are not proud people, but we take pride in protecting our family!" Quinn snarled; his face in an angry mask.

"We may accept," Moonstone picked up right after him, "But it depends on how you can change, Albus. We are not willing to agree to just anything, and you should know that. We've seen too many wars, too many deaths in the last seven hundred years. And while you cannot grant world peace in the Wizarding World, we know very well that you caused the First Wizarding War in the first place. If you had only shown Tom that life wasn't about revenge, things might have changed! You should have sent him to us first! But no, you did not! We have questioned many things about you, but that was your worst and biggest mistake."

The couple, although they looked only seventeen, was having a wise and sharp attitude towards Dumbledore, and they were the only people in the world who could have told Dumbledore he was acting like a general, not a Headmaster of Hogwarts. Whisperings of shock came from the paintings in the room as they watched Moonstone and Quinn batter and scold him so. The two of them were not usually this strict, Dumbledore knew that, but they had never been kind to them on their first meeting, and even though this was the second, they were not any politer.

"Would you do that to your daughter and granddaughter, to not help them?" Dumbledore's anger was just below the surface, boiling, "While I am not trying to be foul, you must remember the last blood bath we had, many muggles and wizards died at Voldemort's hands. We cannot allow that to happen again. But it will, if you do not help them. It will get harder; to explain just exactly what the prophecy is when the time arises. Luna, George, Ginevra, and Harry will need the most help, and you will not help them?"

"We didn't say we wouldn't, Albus. Your mind fools you. We will, but do not expect us to ever agree with you again. We will not laugh or cry when your death comes, but instead we will tell everyone just exactly what you have done, your manipulations. This is your price, Dumbledore. Because, for you, everything comes with a price; your sister, your life, and now your legacy, remember this, Dumbledore. It is a heavy burden to carry, and you have brought it on yourself. There are two sides to every story, Albus, and this is our side to your story," Moonstone spat, before saying, "Farewell, Dumbledore, and may the gates of death welcome you joyously one day, so you may pass through them to heaven," she bid him a farewell from their time, although it was a wizard saying.

The two of them got up, and left the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head as he endured the pain from remembering his dear sister's death. They were right; it was his fault in the first place. Fawkes chirped with melancholy as Phineas Nigellius Black's portrait spoke up, "Well Dumbledore that was mighty smart of you. Challenging two people even I knew during my time here; very smart of you indeed." The sarcasm was evident.

"Oh hush Phineas; we all know that you aren't very happy with anybody anymore, so please be quiet. Yes, I did know them too, but they are much to wise to challenge. So it would be unwise to challenge them, yes, but there is no need to flounce it everywhere!" Phyllida Spore's portrait scolded, before adding, "It was a very serious matter. Moonstone and Quinn were both sad and surprised to see that nobody ever bonded. I remember them checking the records every year, and they probably still do."

Dumbledore sighed. Yes, he had gotten them to agree, but like they said, everything for him comes with a price. Her death, the betrayal, everything was burdened with a price of the sorts. And Dumbledore knew he was going to pay, but still, it was a little unnerving to see two people, knowing they are so much older, and yet they still look only seventeen. If only fate could play fairly, but fate never did and never would. So Albus Dumbledore grabbed the third year end of exams, and started to walk to McGonagall's office to tell her the news.

XXX

Ginny worked hard at her exams. Although it was only the 26th of December, she was taking the third year end exams. Truth be told, with her newfound knowledge from Harry's memories, she knew all of these. But she triple checked her answers, just to be sure. She didn't want to fail, even though it probably wouldn't mean expulsion in her case. It was still unnerving, just as her second year exam was. She didn't take her first year one, since she didn't know most of the topics, but nonetheless, she studied over the summer, along with how to become an animagus.

Harry sat at the two combined desks right next to hers, reading a book about Animagi. They both knew he was the first one to be a natural, but they still continued to look, hoping that he wasn't. If Dumbledore minded, he didn't say anything. Although, Harry and Ginny both knew that he didn't mind since Harry was a natural and Ginny was one herself.

_You need help?_

_ No! I already have all your knowledge; I'm just checking my answers._

_ Okay then._

She continued on to the next questions, and she completed her DADA exam. Ginny found it rather boring, since she didn't get to do the obstacle course that Harry had, although she only mildly complained. Harry had laughed at that, silently though, and she smiled. When he wasn't thinking darkly, Harry actually had a carefree sense of humor, just like his father, James.

_I'm like my father, am I, _he asked in a mocking tone.

_Yes, although you can be as strict as your mum at some points._

_ Okay, I get it, now Dumbledore just has to check your grades on all of them._

_ I hope I get an 'O' on at least one of them._

_ I bet you will._

Dumbledore collected the exams, and performed a complicated charm to see her grade. It took several minutes, and nobody said a word out loud as they watched the pages being flitted through with amazing speed. A dinging sound came from nowhere in particular when the papers were done, Dumbledore said, "You passed. I believe, Mrs. Potter, you can join Harry in the fourth year."

_I did it!_

_ Yes, you did._

Harry and Ginny grinned as they were allowed back out to meet up with their friends, and the two of them wondered where to go. It was a shame it was winter, and it was the daytime, since they could have gone out to run around on the grounds. But it was nearing the evening feast, so the two of them went down to the Great Hall, all tension gone and replaced by excitement. Along the way, they had somehow gotten to the point to hold hands, and Ginny sent him thoughts of why she was excited; she could finally be in his year! She had all of his knowledge up until Winter Break, and he had even somehow paid attention to Binns' lessons on the Goblin Wars, although she found those boring, to be honest.

The two of them snuck in, unnoticed somehow, and made their way to the Gryffindor table. Their friends were talking with obvious tension before Fred pointed out, "Harry and Ginny are right here."

The four that were having a deep conversation suddenly stopped, and turned to look at the red haired girl and black haired boy as they sat down, and Ron asked, "Where were you two?"

"We were getting her end of year exams done," Harry answered truthfully as he got his plate filled with his usual dinner, and Ginny did the same.

"Did you pass?" Hermione asked, although Luna seemed just as excited as Hermione was.

"Yes," Ginny replied curtly, before she took a bite of mashed potatoes coated in gravy.

"It really is going to bloody well not be a good year without you," Luna sighed, "Third year was supposed to be exciting."

Harry and Ginny shared a quick glance, and both suddenly burst into grins, and Ginny said, "We haven't exactly forgiven you and George yet. You were spying on us!"

George and Luna both looked at them, shocked, as Fred suddenly snorted into his pumpkin juice. Hermione smiled, and Ron didn't bother to contain his laughter. Indeed, it wasn't really fair to have two people spying on you as you cried and took comfort with somebody else. They were joking, of course, but there was still obvious hurt with the fact. Harry and Ginny had slight bouts of displeasure and disappointment as they looked at the sixth and third year.

Soon enough, dinner was over and the pack headed back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry and Ginny were both exhausted again, and when they were back inside the Common Room, they fought through the tiredness and went up to their dorms, both equally ready to just pass out. But somehow, the two of them had gotten prepared for bed and into their four-posters, and both of them were soon fast asleep, although their dreams were anything but.

XXX

"_I'm going to eat your soul Ginevra Weasley, you pathetic blood traitor," Riddle laughed._

_ "No, please no!" Ginny begged, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears._

_ "Oh? The filthy traitor is begging? How amusing, honestly, did you think you were being smart by talking to me? I was a diary! But I will become human again, as soon as I take your final breath away from you. And it begins now," Riddle sneered, and Ginny collapsed to the floor._

_ The dreams were mixed, and suddenly, a woman screamed as she was killed in a flash of green light, and a man laughed. Then, another burst of green light burst forth, followed by a child's wailing and growling coming from what sounded like a wolf cub. And in the background, you could hear a girl screaming a spell, and a sudden burst of blue light killed off both nightmares at once, leaving the two of them in black abyss._


	18. Chapter 17: Potions

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: And now we are leaving Winter Break (finally!) and going on to the rest of the school year. This was one of the most exciting chapters to write, my tension swirled around the whole time I was writing this! **

The rest of Christmas Break was a joyous affair for the pack. George and Luna would actually finish each other's sentences more than Harry and Ginny did, and it was always quite humorous to see them do so. Hermione, with the help of Harry and Ginny, started to brew the Reveal Potion, and it reminded the four of them of the Polyjuice Potion that Ron, Hermione, and Harry took in their second year. The potion bubbled and hissed in the Room of Requirement, and they could only be glad they actually found the room in the first place, because none of them wanted to run into Myrtle again.

Pomfrey had Harry and Ginny back in the Hospital Wing each night, much to their displeasure; although both agreed it was better than being separated. The chest pain had come back each time they had been separated for more than three hours, which was better, partially because the bond was stabilized. But the two of them slightly bickered, but other than that did not complain about the whole situation. But of course, that all had to end at one time or another, and Winter Break ended.

So today was their first day back and somehow their first class of the day was Potions. Harry and Ginny walked down to breakfast, and he gave her his schedule since she would be following it as much as she could. They ate as much as they could, before their friends came down. But, when it was time to go to class, Harry could feel Ginny's fear and worry. _You're going to be fine. Snape's a git anyways, so that won't change._

She snorted with laughter as they made their way down to the dungeons. When they had finally gotten down there, Ginny sighed, but the two of them continued into class. At once, all conversation stopped as Harry led her over to the table that he commonly used with Ron, who was now working with Hermione. But alas, Snape decided to come over and look at them. "And why are you here, Miss Weasley?" he sneered.

"Because I've been able to go up a year, _sir_," Ginny scowled.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for talking back," Snape snarled, before he told them what the day's potion was.

Harry and Ginny fluently moved around each other, working on the potion that was assigned. Neither of them said a word out loud, but the conversation in their minds caused them to be able to actually speak with each other. When they were almost done with the potion, Ginny mentally sighed. _I never liked Snape, but there's no reason to be rude about this._

_He's just being an arse, don't worry, he's like this all the time to us._

Harry collected the potion into a vial, and Ginny did the same, before hiding it in her hand so she could actually give it to Snape if he tried to break their first vial. The two of them walked up to the Professor's desk in synchronization, and Harry gave Snape the vial, which the man clearly purposely dropped. "Another zero today, Potter."

Ginny then chose to speak up, "I'm afraid not, Professor. We have a spare vial," and she gave Snape the vial before the two of them left the classroom.

_The nerve of him, that arse._

They continued for the rest of the day, getting many curious looks from other students, fourth years especially, as Ginny revealed she was now in the same year as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. It wasn't until dinner that something incredible happened.

The two of them were eating dinner, when they saw Hermione rush into the Great Hall; her eyes filled with happiness as she quickly sat down and got herself some food. The rest of the pack looked at her curiously, but all she said was, "It's ready!"

They all got looks of excitement when she said this, and Harry felt Ginny's tension. While she knew they were ready for this, how was she going to react? While they could teach their friends how to master the Patronus to learn their animagus forms, that would have taken to long and George and Luna would need the Potion anyways. So, with much effort, the two of them had learned the Stunning Spell in three weeks, an incredible feat. They would have to use it tonight, on their friends, and neither was pleased with the idea; of course, if things got out of hand while they were asleep.

Somehow, along with all of their friends, they were able to get to the Room of Requirement unnoticed. Harry had asked for a place to train, and surprisingly, it had given them a huge room that had bookshelves, pillows for sitting on, and a lot of stuff to help them out; that was before. Now, they stepped inside the familiar room, where a potion was bubbling inside a cauldron. Hermione rushed over looking at it, and she sighed in relief. She then looked up at her friends, and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The other four just nodded, and the fourteen year old witch took out five cups and poured the potion, which was a silver color, into them. Nervously, she handed the cups to George, Luna, Fred, and Ron, and in an instant, she drank the potion. The cup dropped from her hands almost immediately, and she fell to the floor, and Harry caught her just in time. George and Luna were next, then Fred, and then Ron. Ginny and Harry backed up a good distance away from their friends, but there was no need to do Stunning Spells, yet.

_Oh, I'm so nervous Harry!_

_ And why are you nervous?_

_ What if we did the potion wrong?_

_ Ginny don't worry, we did it right._

The two of them settled down on the floor, and both of them felt the tension. He made a shield around them, and all it looked like was that they were in a gigantic Bubble-Head Charm. They didn't say anything out loud; rather they had a silent communication, as always. But this time, they sat in a peaceful bliss; no longer worried about the outside world.

XXX

Harry and Ginny got up, and he nodded at her. He took off the shield, just as their friends started to stir. The air was yet again thick with tension, excitement, and worry. Hermione was the first to sit up, and although it was late in the night, she looked wide awake. George and Luna were the next to get up, in synchronization, and then Fred and Ron. Their five friends seemed slightly shocked at first, before Harry decided to ask, "Do you know your animagi forms?"

Of course, Hermione was the first to speak up, "I do; it's a snow leopard."

They next turned to George and Luna, and they just shrugged as Luna told him, "Tigers; not really surprising."

"A bear," Fred dismissed, although he had a wide grin on his face.

"I'm a fox," Ron answered truthfully, although his nervousness faded away when he saw that everybody broke into grins.

XXX

Molly Weasley let out a long sigh. It was January 9th, and term at Hogwarts had just restarted. She knew that she shouldn't have let out such a tremor like that on Christmas, but she had been in shock. Her only daughter, married at thirteen! Who wouldn't be shocked? But, at the moment, she was at Grimmauld Place. It was ironic, in a way, since the estate would be changed into Headquarters, but the entire place was still dreary and gloomy, even after a year and a half's work on it.

Rosemary sat with her. Sirius, who was getting more plaster so they could expand the house, was now officially 'dating' Rosemary, who said she wouldn't go by her full name, ever. In truth, Mary and Sirius didn't really have a choice, they were really meant for each other. But after about nine days of the awkwardness that supposedly Harry and Ginny had, they were over it. The auror and the animagus, who was now registered, were going to be considered married one day; just like her only daughter and her honorary son, now son in-law.

Mary didn't say much, Molly realized, rather, she spoke when somebody needed wisdom or guidance, or both. She was a very quiet person, but you wouldn't get that as a first impression of her. Mary liked ripped jeans, as muggles would call them, and t-shirts, another muggle thing. And now that she was dating her bond-mate, she looked to be getting younger every day, so the description of a wild teenager was starting to become clearer to Molly. She wasn't exactly envious, but it amazed the mother of seven how the aging clock was being set back. The same thing was for Sirius.

The pale blonde woman came back with a tea kettle, poured Molly and herself some tea, sat down, before asking, "What's on your mind, Molly?"

"A lot of things," she muttered in reply, before sighing, "I guess I'm not over the fact yet. They're too young to be married! And then George and Luna, while he's not too young, she is!"

"Well, Harry and Ginny they both have mature minds," Mary nodded, taking Molly's response into deep thought, and Molly noted how she didn't say 'old souls' like most would say, "Harry always has been, and Ginny became more mature after that diary. And let's face it, they really are influencing each other to become more mature, whether we like it or not. It's the fact of it, and even if we wanted to change it, we couldn't. It's time to face the music, one day they would have been married either way.

"As for George and Luna, she also has an old mind. She's seen death twice, and my niece is more mature than even Topaz is, and he's older than me. And George, well, Luna will be his Lily; he's going to mature with her around. So I don't really worry about it. None of them are as oblivious to the world as they used to be, but we really can't change that, because change is inevitable."

Molly sighed and nodded. Mary was right, George and Ginny were growing up faster than Ron or Fred was. The Twins no longer had such similar personalities, and it saddened her slightly. George used to have the 'minds think alike' expression to the core when it came to Fred; finishing each other's sentences, pulling pranks together, having a carefree attitude. Over the course of his fifth year, however, that all changed. When the summer came around, Molly was surprised. George was quieter, not as carefree, and considerate. For the first time, tears of sadness had reached her when she saw how different her Twins now were.

Ginny was another story. She always had a fiery temper, she loved to pull pranks and laugh. But that darned diary changed her. She became anti-sociable, quiet, and kept to herself. Molly hated seeing such a change in her daughter, but over the summer after her first year, Molly saw Harry slowly encourage Ginny to not be that way. At first, she had thought it was just a coincidence that Harry was the only person who could get through to Ginny's depression, and rescue her. It was probably because he rescued her beforehand, Molly had originally thought. Then the next summer came around. Molly could see the happy gleam in her daughter's eyes whenever Harry was mentioned, although Molly and Arthur were probably the only people who heard her terrible screams at night when she had those horrid nightmares, and she felt hopeless and helpless. How was she going to help her daughter? She had no idea. And now, Ginny was as bubbly as ever, more mature, and more considerate. Molly already had a son in-law now, and her first future daughter in-law. The thought scared her. Yes, she knew one day her sons and daughter would marry, but it was just rather soon for her, and just so sudden, that she couldn't help but react so badly.

Sighing once more, Molly drank the rest of her tea before getting up from the table, "Well, I best be going; Arthur is going to come home soon and I haven't gotten dinner ready yet."

Nodding Marry looked over at the red haired woman. "Good luck, Molly. And may the gates of death welcome you joyously into heaven, or so my parents would say."

She slightly shuddered at the saying, but smiled in reply before Flooing back to the Burrow.

XXX

_I can't believe it; our friends are going to become animagi._

_ I can't believe it either, but their forms! I didn't think their forms would all be so battle-like._

_ I know, Gin, I know._

_ Harry?_

_ Just the thought of battles; what lies in store._

_ Oh. Oh! Harry, don't think such things! We're going to have even worse dreams tonight if you think like that._

The pack snuck back into the Common Room, right after midnight, all of them relatively glad they survived the potion. Harry knew that Ron and Hermione wanted to become animagi when they first found out about him, but honestly, Harry didn't want them to at first. He would have pushed them away forcefully if they tried to. But thankfully, they didn't try it, only Ginny had. But Ginny was his bond-mate. He wouldn't have cared either way, but even then part of him knew he was meant to be with Ginny.

_That's sweet of you._

_ I really do mean it._

_ I know you do._

He felt her happiness as she heard those words, and for once, Harry himself was also truly happy. _You have been before._

_ I know._

_ So what changes it now?_

_ I honestly don't know._

Ginny didn't say anything more, as she didn't want to bother him so much tonight, as both of them were not looking forward to their sleep, at all. They would have to find that room soon, as neither of them wanted to continue their exhaustion for much longer. Their friends had gone up to bed during their conversation, so it was just the two of them down in the Common Room, sitting there quietly. They both sighed at the same time, in clear exhaustion.

"What are you doing, Sarah?" groaned a woman in a painting as a dash of black ran across it.

"Nothing at all!" a woman replied, and the usually silent paintings now grumbled in protest.

_What's going on, Harry?_

_ I have no idea._

The lady in the paintings came to a halt in another, and she stared at them intently. The portrait girl had long raven black hair, down to her waist, and electric blue eyes. "You look just like the two of them," she finally decided, "You have his hair and her eyes, amazing it is! And yet, you do not know who I am!" the painting laughed, before she shook her head in sadness, "I remember hearing about it in here, terrible, I dare say! My great grandson's parents, dead! Such a horrid thing for a boy so young to endure, but I stayed quiet. No more, though! The two of you have finally come together, just like me and my own James did!"

"Err. . . . Who are you?" Ginny asked, as Harry didn't trust his own voice.

The lady blinked, before she smiled and replied, "Sarah Potter, nice to finally meet the two of you. Of course, you two are just only wee children, aye, but mighty Gryffindors! I was worried you wouldn't become so! Very worried indeed, although James' portrait is in the Ravenclaw Tower, so it wouldn't have been bad, but enough of me talking! I want to meet me own great grandson and his bond-mate! It seems only fit!"

Sarah sat on the table in the painting she was currently residing in, before looking at them expectantly. There were a few minutes of silence, and she said, "Well, I guess I might as well get right to it! James shan't be happy, but it seems mighty well that I do this! You two finally realized the bond! And after eight hundred and eighty years, we perished! Perished on New Years' Eve! The oldest soul bonded in the world, gone! Just like that, we were wiped from the Earth. Ejan himself would shake his head at us, telling James coming from the Gryffindor line means you have to be brave!"

"Wait, you mean the Potters come from the Gryffindor lineage?" Harry asked, shocked. Why hadn't he been told?

"Aye, lad, so do the Lovegoods, although, they don't have two lines of the Founders in them! I guess I haven't formally introduced myself, silly me, but I might as well. I'm Sarah Potter, nee Ravenclaw, descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw herself. I met James Potter in September, eleven years after 1100. Hogwarts herself wasn't this grand yet, although we were both sorted into Gryffindor, but if not for our soul-bond, I would have been a Ravenclaw. I was killed on my birthday, December 16th, 1980 by Voldemort himself. Grand honor, to be killed by the Dark Lord, bah! More like a great shame to fall at the hands of a dictator!"

_She's crazy, even for a painting._

_ Agreed; she really is crazy._

"Wait, why show yourself to us now?" Ginny questioned the seventeen-looking woman.

Sarah stopped in her tracks, before she broke into another grin, "Well, lass, I haven't seen a soul-bond in my five years as being a painting, and then, boom! Two at once! Two of such strong lines, it was astounding indeed! But of course, I had to help, but there is only one room for the bonded. And besides, the other two are not married yet, so I thought to me self, why not just give it to my great grandson and his bond-mate? And I did so, I did! Now, it's time for you to claim that room. So follow me!"

Sarah began to move through the paintings yet again, and they grumbled even louder, until she was back in her own painting. It was of a muggle London, so that at least explained why she was wearing muggle jeans and a black t-shirt.

_Think we should go for it?_

_ No idea._

_ Like you said before, even for a painting, she's off her rocker._

_ She comes from Ravenclaw lines, though._

_ That means you come from Ravenclaw lines too._

_ No wonder the hat wanted to place me there, but didn't._

_ Probably because I was destined to be a Gryffindor, right?_

Finally reaching a conclusion, Harry told the painting of his great grandmother, "We'll accept."


	19. Chapter 18: Revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: Sorry about the mixed up dating in the last chapter. Point is, she was killed somewhere between December 16****th**** and New Years Eve. When they were caught off guard, they were struck with the Cruciatus Curse, driving Sarah to insanity before they were killed. That's why she seems crazy.**

"Ah yes, perfect; now then, what do you want your password to be?" Sarah asked; her eyes wide.

_Err. . . . What do you think?_

_ Ruby Minuit; it's French for Ruby Midnight._

Nodding Ginny turned to her great grandmother in-laws painting and said, "How about Ruby Minuit?"

"Perfect! Now then, as soon as you step inside the room, your stuff will be transferred down here. I'll tell James to alert Dumbledore about this, because we wouldn't want him thinking you went missing, now, do we? Yes, we do not! Any questions before you go in?"

"Err. . . . How did you die?" Harry asked.

Her face went blank for a second, before she smiled and replied, "Well now, aren't you nosy! If you must know, it was right here where this painting is supposed to take place at. It was somewhere between my birthday and New Years Eve. I don't know, since before I died, they caught us off guard and hit us with the Cruciatus Curse, driving me to insanity. He somehow wasn't, but then Voldemort killed us with the Cutting Curse, and we couldn't heal fast enough since I was already as good as dead. And we only had one son in our entire lives! Shame, it is, great shame. But anyways, you must get inside!"

Her painting swung open, to reveal a room that definitely did not look similar to one of the dormitories. There was a wall right next to the inside, and the lights immediately came on. There was a scarlet and gold king-sized bed, complete with two nightstands that were made of redwood. The walls, which had been blank before, now turned into emerald and ruby swirls, filling up the entire space on the plaster. The shaggy carpet did the same, and they stepped inside, just as the same time as their trunks appeared, but not their wands, since they already had those.

_Wow. This much was under the stairs?_

Ginny felt Harry's agreement. It was wonderful, but there was still that sudden light from an archway towards the other side of the room. There was an owl perch, thankfully, as Hedwig would now be able to deliver their mail here, instead of the Great Hall. She silently wondered what would their friends think when their stuff was gone from the dormitories. The third year girls already knew she was going a year up, so she would probably move to the fourth year girl dormitory, but what about Harry's former dorm-mates?

_We'll figure out something._

_ I hope we do._

The portrait hole closed, and the two of them sighed at once. This was going to cause a lot of explaining to do, a lot of it. But, that didn't matter at the moment, because they had to explore their room. So, the two of them walked over to the archway, to find out it was the lavatory. There was something that looked like a bathtub, except it was in the floor, and it was huge. There were faucets on all four sides of the square tub, and there were actually seats.

_It looks like a muggle hot tub, _Harry thought, and at the same time sent a picture to her of what that was.

There was also a redwood door, but the two of them had already had enough exploring tonight, since they were well exhausted from having to go to the Room of Requirement and back. Again, they took turns getting changed, Ginny first. Sleep drowned their minds, and Ginny knew it was going to be awkward sleeping right next to her bond-mate, but thankfully, she was too tired to even care.

Harry, dressed in a muggle t-shirt and pajama slacks, came in a few minutes later, and both of them were out cold before they knew it.

XXX

Hermione Granger yawned and got ready for the day. She was surprised of her animagus form, something much unexpected indeed. Originally, she had thought it might have been a cat, or even a lion, but why a snow leopard? True, she was fond of the winter season, more time to study, but the thought bothered her.

While she went down the stairs, she turned to look at the third year girls' dormitory. But strangely, Ginny's trunk wasn't there. That was very odd indeed. Maybe Ginny and Harry would have an explanation; or they might have found that room Dumbledore was talking about. Shrugging, Hermione opened up one of her books and started to read it, while she was walking down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Today would be an interesting day indeed.

When she arrived at the Great Hall, she was shocked to find Harry and Ginny not in their usual spots. Instead, they were scowling at Dumbledore, having a hushed conversation that probably only the two of them and Dumbledore could hear. Why were they so upset? Closing her book, she then noticed not just a few students staring at Harry, but most of the older students as well as the younger ones. But they weren't just staring at Harry; they were staring at Harry _and _Ginny.

George and Luna were there too, but their faces were bone pale, and some students were gawking at them too. What was going on? Hermione's fears were only escalating as she sat down and looked at her two friends. "What's going on?" she asked nervously, and Luna just looked at her, before the two of them spoke in perfect synchronization that scared Hermione to her wits end.

"They found out about us," they said, in a monotonous tone, "They found out about the soul-bonds. We're in for it."

Hermione looked down at the morning paper, and she realized they were correct, and what was worse, Skeeter was back.

_**SOUL BONDS AT HOGWARTS! HARRY POTTER SOUL-BONDED!**_

_Yes my Darling Readers, Harry Potter has Soul-Bonded! We all remember the Potters, up until their terrible deaths at the hands of You-Know-Who himself, all six of them, except for young Harry. We all remember the great grandparents of Harry Potter, James Potter the First and Sarah Potter. They were the oldest Soul-Bond in existence, about nine hundred years! But, on December 29__th__, 1980, they perished! Sarah was under the affects of the Cruciatus Curse, before they were killed with Cutting Curses to the neck._

_ Then, Ocean and Dorea Potter, nee Black, on August 13__th__, 1981, at the ungrateful hands of You-Know-Who himself! Both of them were killed with the Killing Curse by You-Know-Who, not even a month after their grandson was born! And then, finally, James and Lily Potter, nee Evans; both of them were killed on October 31__st__, 1981, again, at the hands of You-Know-Who! Did the Dark Lord himself have something against the Potters (see page 4)?_

_ But, putting the manslaughter aside, yes, Harry Potter, the BWL, has Soul-Bonded! If you don't know any history on Soul-Bonds, well then, let me give you some! There hasn't been one since 1272, until now! Now, the supposed myths say that the bonded are telepathic, but this hasn't been proven until Moonstone and Quinn Lovegood proved it in 1567, so that clears that. We wizards don't know much more, but one question still remains: who is Harry's bond-mate?_

_ Well, that question is almost easy enough. Ginevra Molly Potter, nee Weasley, suddenly moved up a year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after the school's Winter Break, into the fourth year, Mr. Potter's own year! And, my readers, the shock does not stop there! Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, even suggested they sleep together! Are there any more surprises? Yes, there are! It turns out that Mr. and Mrs. Potter are not the only Soul-Bonds at Hogwarts! There is another!_

_ George Weasley, Ginny's brother, also is Soul-Bonded! Your favorite reporter has seen two Soul-Bonds at Hogwarts! Mr. Weasley's bond-mate, Miss Luna Lovegood, is known from her late father, Xenophilius Lovegood, as being the editor for wizard magazine, The Quibbler. Mr. Lovegood was killed in the summer of 1993 by a Yeti and further information is available of his demise on page 5. And another shocker, Luna's grandparents, Moonstone and Quinn Lovegood, they even have a daughter that is Soul-Bonded! Rosemary Lovegood, auror at the British Ministry of Magic, indeed, is also Soul-Bonded!_

_ Rosemary, who is now 35, is bonded to ex-convict and framed murderer Sirius Black! Mr. Black was put into Azkaban by Mr. Crouch and Cornelius Fudge, the British Minister of Magic, for supposedly murdering eleven muggles and Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew was the actual murder of those eleven muggles and even cut off his own finger before escaping in his unregistered rat animagus form and being found by the third eldest son of the Weasleys. Pettigrew was found by Black and friend Remus Lupin, including the Potters themselves, Ron Weasley, Mrs. Potter's brother, and friend Hermione Granger; Pettigrew was put to trial and sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss, while Black was freed._

_ What does this mean for the Potters? In any interviews, Crouch and Fudge have made no comment on the subject; why? Is there more to any of this then we expected? Your favorite reporter is going to go find more, but for now, we only have these questions to ask ourselves._

_**The Potter Massacre: Page 4**_

_**Mr. Lovegood's demise: Page 5**_

_**You-Know-Who's fall and Black's Freedom: Pages 6 through 8**_

Hermione couldn't believe it. That cow was back! She looked up from the article just in time to see Luna let out a long wail and bury her face into George's shoulder. Hermione knew she had never completely gotten over her grief, she was lucky that she didn't go insane, so she couldn't even imagine what Luna was going through. Something was very suspicious about all of this, very suspicious indeed. She was going to have to find out how Skeeter could get all of this information and soon.

XXX

Turning stiffly, Ginny and Harry started to walk back towards the Gryffindor Table, ignoring the stares from everyone else. Their hands somehow met, and they were clasped tightly. They did not look at anybody; rather, they focused on their normal seating arrangements. Ginny could feel Harry's anger, disbelief, disgust, and tension. She knew what was going on in his mind; what if his darkest secret was discovered? Although her hand was much smaller, she gave his a reassuring squeeze, and he let out a mental sigh.

_Harry. . . ._

_ I know, Gin, I know. I shouldn't be this worried, but I am. They are going to call me a monster, if it ever gets out. I can't help but think it. This Skeeter is getting on my nerves, and I don't want you in the line of fire when it's unleashed._

_ Let's just take it one step at a time, okay? C'mon we need to get some breakfast, and it looks like Luna needs some comfort._

Feeling his agreement, the two of them finally made it back to their seats, and looked at Luna. She was still sobbing into George, but he was trying to comfort her, through silent and verbal conversation. Fred, who was just now reading the edition of the Daily Prophet, looked as if he was about to explode in rage. Ron had just shown up, and he looked at the Daily Prophet, just once, before his whole face went red. Hermione, on the other hand, had a thoughtful look on her face, and Ginny and Harry knew she was up to something; plotting, more like it. Both of them wondered what she was planning, and they both knew it probably concerned a certain reporter.

They continued for the rest of the day, both of them worried, both of them ignoring the increasing amounts of stares they were getting, until it was dinner. That was when Hermione decided that she had had enough of their seclusions, and she asked, in a very hushed whisper, "Where has all of your stuff gone? It's not in the dorms anymore; did you guys open up that room?"

Now, both of them knew that Hermione really was the brightest witch of her age, and the rest of the pack had their eyes on them, they nodded. In truth, they would have to share the information sometime soon, and besides, they needed their friends. And they would have done it later anyways, since tonight was animagus practice in the Room of Requirement. They all had agreed on four times a week, not interfering with Quidditch practice since there wasn't any of the sport yet, and George and Luna seemed the most eager about the whole thing. Sighing, they got finished with breakfast, and headed up to the Gryffindor Tower to get their homework, so that they could do it after their practicing, and headed towards the Room of Requirement.

XXX

_A one year old Harry played with a toy broomstick, laughing like the little kid he was. His two parents smiled at him as they ate their dinner, and the little boy turned to them, his brilliant green eyes literally glowing, which was a strange effect from his gift. His tail swished playfully, before he went back to playing on his broom. "Wouldn't have guessed he would have this gift," Lily Potter shook her head, a soft chuckle escaping her lips._

_ "Think he's going to be a good bond-mate towards Ginevra?" James asked her, and she smiled again._

_ "Of course," she replied._

_ They stayed silent for a few minutes, before Lily turned to James, "I hope he's going to get set into a good home if. . . . If something happens to us. I don't want him going to my sister, or those darned Malfoys. He should go to Sirius or Remus. Think we should write the rest of the will now?"_

_ James nodded, and they got up, leaving their plates behind, before she took out a long piece of parchment, and they began writing the rest of it. They mumbled things that they wanted changed, and when they were done, James pointed her wand at the piece of parchment, and said, "Send this to Gringotts Bank in Diagon Alley, to be watched by the Potters' Bank Manager, Griphook. When Harry and his bond-mate Ginevra Weasley come together, we ask that you tell them of this will. If anybody objects when this will is reopened, they are not allowed to interfere. If they try to do so, they will be fined as if they had done this to a person when they came of age._

_ "Furthermore, we would like Moonstone and Quinn Lovegood to see to it that if there are no more choices, that Harry and Ginevra be placed into their care; this has also been written into the will, but we want this to be assumed. We understand that we, by magical and muggle law, are not Ginevra's guardians, but as Harry's, we still have the right to decide their fate. That is all we have to say. This will was written by James and Lily Potter, nee Evans, on October 27__th__, 1981, and taken into the care of the Potters' Bank Manager, Griphook."_

_ The parchment suddenly folded, and a bright flash of blue and white light filled the room, and the will of James and Lily Potter, their last will, was gone. Young Harry Potter looked up curiously, before he flew his toy broomstick over to his parents. They smiled sadly; both of them knowing their more than likely fate, and then everything went black._

XXX

Ginny yawned, and rubbed her eyes as she looked at their new room. Today, the shock was over, and people were going to be asking questions. She just knew it, and so did Harry. It wasn't really an unknown thing, it was just the fact. She felt him slowly waking up, although he took longer than she did. Getting up slowly, she went over and got ready for the day, before she got her wand and the books for their first class as Harry also got ready for the day.

The animagus practicing went over better than expected. George and Luna were on the verge of being able to perform the binding spell already, although Ginny assumed it was because they were doing it at once, not just by themselves. Hermione was also having a good start, although Ron was not. He was still having troubles, even after two weeks. She could only guess that it was because he wasn't doing it as hard as the others yet. Fred was at the average pace that the book described, saying that with the right information, the entire transformation could take up to a year.

"Breakfast," Harry asked her, and she nodded.

They snuck out of their room, and Sarah bid them farewell, "See ya later, great grandson! And you too, lass!"

Shaking their heads, they continued on down to breakfast. Sarah, although a painting, and crazy, had finally gotten settled down. It turned out; there was also a blank canvas in their room that only she or James, who they had not met yet, could go into there. She didn't really speak to anyone except Harry and Ginny themselves or their friends in the two weeks that they had known her. She really was nice, even if she was a painting that was off her rocker.

So, the two of them slowly went down to the Great Hall, holding hands. Their combined secret was unleashed, and now they could only hope that Rita Skeeter didn't find out about his other one. Then the depths of hell would break loose, Ginny knew it. But, they had to actually go and survive this year first, before anything could be decided, for the better or for the worse. How much would people ask questions today? Tomorrow, next year, for their whole lives; Ginny sighed.

_Worried again, are we?_

_ Prat; but yes I am._

_ After two weeks, we're finally going to be in for it once more._

_ Yep._

_ Aren't you nervous too?_

_ I was. . . . Then I decided it wasn't going to be that big of a deal._

_ Oh?_

_ They have two bond-mates, surrounded by two more, Hermione Granger, the Pranksters, and your brother. Shouldn't be too hard to not get that much questions raised, now should it?_

_ You're right._

_ As always, _he sent to her.

_Prat, but I love you anyways._

And so the two of them walked into the empty Great Hall, save for a few students wanting to see them early and Dumbledore and McGonagall. Harry and Ginny Potter walked over to their usual seating arrangements, side by side. Nobody made comment, and the two of them didn't really care. They didn't have the protection of all their friends for the whole day, heck; even Fleur had been protecting them from the Beauxbatons, but they would survive the day, one way or another, they would. So, the two of them dug into their breakfasts, having their usual silent conversation as the new found routine, like always.


	20. Chapter 19: Merfolk

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: I've been able to post more (Yeah!) because my schedule isn't as hectic anymore. Finally, right? Yep, finally! I have been working hard, usually getting one chapter done a day then starting the next one. . . . Yeah, my schedule is still hectic. And sorry about the typo in the article, but I was just imagining Skeeter making fun of Harry (like she does with everybody). But enough of my ramblings, time for the chapter!**

A flash of brilliant white light came from a certain area in the Room of Requirement, leaving a very exhausted George and Luna panting, sweat dripping from them. The light was so unexpected, Harry at first thought that it was something else, but it wasn't. No, he could feel Ginny's excitement; George and Luna had just successfully completed the binding charm, the first step into becoming an animagus.

It was now three weeks since the beginning of term after Winter Break, and most people tried to avoid the pack. It wasn't like second year, where everybody thought Harry was a Parselmouth, but more like it was just because his eyes, by Ginny's description, would practically glow when somebody tried to bother them. At first, it had frightened her, but she had gotten used to it, since he no longer had his glasses to hold off their glow. Dumbledore, when asked, said he would not tell the school of anything, yet. This left the two of them very angry, since all they wanted was a little bit of privacy, not everybody going quiet and running past them when they walked around the Castle. But it seemed that Dumbledore had different plans than what they wanted, so they couldn't very well argue. This led to them focusing more on their homework and animagi practice, which was done at once, since Harry worked on his homework as she helped guide their friends, and then they would switch. Their friends would get their homework done during the few free periods they had, but somehow managed, or when there wasn't practice.

"Ack; that hurt," Luna growled, before she sighed, "Great, now there are nargles everywhere."

"You completed it!" Ginny cried out, putting her homework aside, as Harry was currently teaching their friends, since they shared the same knowledge. "Now, time for the fun to begin; you have to restudy the transformation charm, and it's also wandless, but you don't have to learn wandless magic for this."

George and Luna groaned, both still panting, but nodded. But it was nearing midnight anyways, so they got ready to go back up to the Gryffindor Tower. The rest of the pack had seen their new room, once, and that was it. They didn't really like to discuss the topic, since it would lead to most of their friends' confusion, but they did talk about it occasionally. Harry didn't mind, though. He could feel that Ginny was sort of disapproving the idea of explaining the full effects of a truly stabilized bond to them, so they didn't say anything.

_ Ginny, _he asked her with their telepathy as they walked out of the Room of Requirement.

_Yeah? _

_ You want to find out about the Second Task tonight?_

In fact, they hadn't thought about that for a while, but Harry knew they needed to get their minds back to the Triwizard Tournament. The Second Task was still boggling to the two of them. Neither could figure out what the egg had meant before Winter Break, but now, they were able to decipher it in their own room, rather than the Prefects' Bathroom. It was a very sudden advantage, and since both had swim suits, they could very well do it tonight.

_Okay, Harry._

_ I wonder why Luna goes on about nargles._

_ Prat, _she thought to him.

_I'm wounded, _he sent to her, in a mocking tone, and she did everything in her power to keep from laughing.

_Well, Mr. Potter, let's get on to it, shall we?_

The pack went back into Gryffindor Tower, and all of them except Hermione bid them goodnight. She was still working on homework, even though she was caught up more so than Harry and Ginny, she still wanted to do all the homework they needed. Although, she told them goodnight and that she would be done with her homework, so the two of them walked up to Sarah's painting to find a man with red hair being teased by her. _That must be James!_

_ Funny how that works; it seems that redheads really are meant for Potters, and redheaded Potters are meant for black haired people._

_ Why you – Prat!_

Sarah turned around, and her eyes widened, and she said, "Oh! Password," even though she knew they already knew the password.

"_Ruby Minuit_," Harry replied, and the portrait hole swung open, and the two of them stepped inside.

The two of them got dressed in their swim wear, and turned on the faucets. Hot water and Lavender soap came out, and when the tub was full, the two of them stepped into the tub, with the golden egg in Harry's hands. He could feel Ginny's excitement and tension, although the tension was about what the egg would say, which neither of them knew what it held. _Ready, Gin, _he asked her.

_I'm ready, Harry, c'mon we need to solve this._

He put the egg under the water, and opened it. Bubbles emerged, but nothing else, so the two of them ducked their heads underwater. He was half expecting that horrible screeching to come from the egg like before, even if the egg had a mermaid's voice inside it, but thankfully, that wasn't what came from it. Instead, a very musical voice emerged from the egg, and the voice sang:

"_Come seek us where our voices sound,_  
_We cannot sing above the ground,_  
_And while you're searching ponder this;_  
_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_  
_An hour long you'll have to look,_  
_And to recover what we took,_  
_But past an hour, the prospect's black,_  
_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

Gasping, the two of them resurfaced quickly, and Harry closed the egg before he brought it to the surface. Both of them were shocked. They sat there, in the water, panting, as the shock started to wear off. Neither of them, though, could think about it. Their minds were in a clear blank, and Harry and Ginny just felt each other's shock and tension. It wasn't a clear answer at all, although he could tell Ginny had a suspicion of what it meant, but whatever it was, she was blocking off the answer from him.

_What are you blocking from me, Ginny?_

_ Harry. . . . What would you sorely miss?_

_ Well, the only thing I would really miss is you. I mean yeah, I have the original Marauders' Map and the Invisibility cloak, but I would miss you more. . . . No! They wouldn't do that! They wouldn't take somebody, especially not a person's bond mate; that's just cruel and unusual punishment!_

Ginny bit her lip, _I think they would, Harry._

_ I wouldn't let them take you._

_ Harry, calm down; they can't actually take me forever, don't you see? We're bond-mates, if they tried, well, it wouldn't work out well. You just have to 'rescue' me._

"Ginny. . . ."

"Harry, I'm serious. Don't worry. It's next month anyways, but you'll rescue me, but what are we going to use?"

_Bubble-head Charm?_

_ That's for seventh years._

_ Hmm, I suppose you're right. Gillyweed is a possibility._

_ Gillyweed it is then, Luna always has some with her._

_ I wonder why?_

_ Prat –It's because she doesn't want to drown, even though she knows how to swim and she loves the water._

XXX

"_Master," spoke a man with dark hair, "The time is approaching."_

_ "Yes, I know that," replied a wheezy and weak voice, "You have been very good to me, Lestrange, giving me Nagini's milk. Soon, very soon, I will have gained my power back. People will cower at my name once more, and you will have the revenge of your brother and sister in-law put away. Yes, your family is the most faithful to me, and the three of you will be greatly rewarded. It is a great honor, to be one of my followers."_

_ "Yes my Lord," Lestrange smiled, a very crooked and broken grin, no less, "One day, I will free Rodolphus and Bellatrix, and we will make Dumbledore and his followers pay."_

_ The scene changed, and a woman was cowering in a dark cell in Azkaban. Her face was covered behind her black, frizzy hair, and she laughed madly, before whispering in a childlike voice, except it was more dark and evil, "Soon, very soon indeed. You 'ear that Rodolphus? Very soon we will break free. The Dementors are already on our side!"_

_ A man's maniacal laugh came from the cell next to hers, and she brushed her hair aside. Her eyes were hollow from the years in the wizarding prison, but a smile came onto her lips. She pushed up the sleeve from her prison robes on her right arm, and the Dark Mark was there, as clear as day. "Soon m' Lord, very soon," she murmured._

_ A warden passed by her cell, and he spoke in a low, gravelly voice, "Whatch you two laughing 'bout? I'll 'ave those blasted Dementors come over 'ere, I will. So quiet, that means you too. You bloody Death Eaters are mad, I tell yeh, mad!"_

_ Bellatrix pulled down her sleeve, and rolled her dark eyes, but went quiet._

_ And then everything went black._

XXX

Harry awoke, in a cold sweat, just as Ginny did too. Both of them shivered; the cold running down their backs as they looked into each other's worried eyes, which were also filled with shock. The dream, one that they hadn't had since the beginning of the school year, terrified them; Voldemort and his followers were planning. And they were planning something that only Sirius had accomplished, except they would be releasing all of the prisoners in Azkaban.

_They're planning._

_ I don't like it._

_ I don't either, but Harry, what else were they talking about? In the last dream we had about them. . . . They wanted to kill you._

_ We're going to have to watch Karkaroff closely. . . . I bet he's in on this. But other than that, we're going to have to pay attention to anymore of these dreams involving Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I have a feeling that we won't like this plan at all._

Nodding, Ginny got up and stretched, almost cat-like. She walked into the bathroom, grabbing the things she needed along the way, leaving Harry to get his stuff and to get their needed items for the day. Sadly, Potions class was first, so he got their cauldrons and everything else they would need, just as Ginny came out, dressed for the day.

When they were both done, the two of them walked down to the Great Hall, although they were both unsure about what was going to happen. Their first Potions class, after their soul-bonded news came out, was going to be hectic. Harry felt her worry, and he even had his own. But, it wasn't about Potions, no, it was about that dream.

"Aw! Is wittle Harry and wittle Ginny walking to their ickle classes together?" Peeves, the Hogwarts' Poltergeist, cackled.

"Go away Peeves," Ginny mumbled.

"Ooo; ickle Mrs. Potty has attitude!" he laughed.

"We're not in the mood," Harry snarled, before the two of them walked around the spirit, going towards the Great Hall.

"The wittle puppies are angry!" Peeves said, and the two of them froze, both of their eyes going wide.

_How could he know?_

_ How could anybody except our friends and the rest of your family know?_

Harry and Ginny turned around, both of their eyes, surprisingly, glowing. The Poltergeist looked at them, his eyes growing wider than theirs, before he swooped over to another room. The two of them angrily walked away, into the Great Hall, before they sat down. Harry swore he could see one of Ginny's eyes, the left one, have a violet color fading away from it, but he wasn't sure. She didn't ask, anyways, since they were busy getting their breakfasts.

When the two of them went to their Potions class, however, it was anything but joyful. "Potters," Snape said stiffly, and cruelly, once, before he told them of the assigned potion they had to do that day.

Sighing, the two of them quickly went to work, and Harry and Ginny worked swiftly to get their potion correct. Not even Malfoy taunted them. . . . But then again, the blonde haired Slytherin had been fairly quiet ever since October. It was strange. Did he know something about them? Did he know about their bond beforehand? Did he know about their animagi forms?

_Harry, stop that._

_ Sorry, love._

_ Since when do you start calling me that?_

_ You don't like it?_

_ No . . . . I do. It's just that I was surprised, that's all._

_ Are you sure?_

_ Of course I'm sure._

_ Animagi practice tomorrow night; I wonder if they're going to complete the binding spell or at least Hermione might._

_ I don't know. She does seem to have a hold on it. It took me four weeks to get the binding spell down, but then again, I didn't know my form._

_ What did you think your form was going to be?_

_ Err. . . . I don't know. A fox, maybe; or maybe an owl, I didn't know._

She got two vials and filled them with the assigned potion, and they slowly walked up to the Professor. In reality, they were actually the first of the class to hand in the potion, so they didn't know how Snape would react. "What do you want Potters?" the Potions Professor asked, not taking his eyes off the parchment he was looking at.

"We have our potion done," Ginny said, and he looked up, with a cold glare.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't drop the vial, and then it happened. His right arm's sleeve suddenly went up his arm slightly, and Harry saw what looked like a tattoo. . . . Except it was in black ink, clear as day; Ginny saw it too, and their eyes widened in shock. Snape seemed to notice this, however, because he rolled his sleeve down just as fast. "You may leave. . . . Mr. and Mrs. Potter," he said, and the two of them backed up shakily before going to their table to collect their things.

_That was the Dark Mark; I always knew Snape was a 'former' Death Eater!_

_ And here I thought he couldn't get anymore worse._

The two of them walked back up to Gryffindor Tower, to go get their stuff. Thoughts brushed their minds of the dream, yet again, and just the plain fact that their future that awaited them might not be pleasant. They would have to ask Dumbledore what was concerning Harry and now Ginny too, and they would have to ask it very soon. Neither of them exactly wanted to ask the questions they would have to ask, although both were well prepared for it.

"Ruby Minuit," Harry told the smiling portrait of his great grandmother, and the two of them stepped inside their room.

Putting their Potions stuff away, quickly, they got out their next classes items, which happened to be History, taught by Professor Binns. All the ghost professor ever taught were the Goblin Wars and his monotonous voice actually knocked several students to sleep or to a dream-like trance. Only Hermione, the Ravenclaws, George and Luna, and Harry and Ginny were now immune. It seemed that the bond wanted them to pay attention to their classes, so both of them could only hope that their professor change his curriculum soon, as the Goblin Wars and Goblin History were quite boring.

They met up with Ron and Hermione moments later, and the four of them slowly walked to History. Harry was sure he saw an odd colored beetle watching them. . . .

_Harry!_

_ Coming, coming; sorry about that, I thought I saw something unusual._

In fact, Harry knew he saw something unusual. It looked like Theodore Nott, a Slytherin boy in their year, was talking to the beetle. But that seemed utterly impossible, since beetles were not very smart creatures, and why would a Slytherin be interested in that kind of insect anyways? But Harry caught up with his friends, and soon after they walked into the classroom, Nott came in. Yes, something was strange, very strange indeed.

_Maybe something really is wrong._

_ I don't know, Gin, I just don't know._


	21. Chapter 20: Second Task

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: Yes, yes, another chapter! I loved the Second Task, and well, to put it simply, I found the First Task quite boring. Fighting a dragon, really? And the world's most dangerous dragon; it just seemed to cliché. So there's your reason why. But this, I loved the Second and Third task, even though Voldemort returns at the end of the Third task, I loved it. I was gripping the book the entire time. The POV's in here switch around a lot, but there's a reason for it. So, without further, ado, I give you the twentieth chapter!**

Pain, the aching in his chest was almost unbearable.

When he had woken up that morning, alone, he couldn't stand it. He ate only a little bit of his breakfast, but he couldn't help it. The pain in his chest was driving him to insanity. Only _her _voice in his mind soothed him. Yes, even though she was in stasis, Ginny could still talk to Harry through their telepathy. He didn't say this to his friends, though, as he hadn't been too keen on the idea. So at the moment, he was at the docks positioned on the Lake at Hogwarts, waiting for the first horn to go off so he could go down first. Since he had the highest points, he actually was able to go first. And there he was, chewing the Gillyweed that he and Ginny had discussed, waiting for the horn to sound. It seemed so sadly ironic, that at the moment, that even Ginny was slightly nervous. Well, she had a reason to be. She was underwater, currently in stasis, waiting for Harry to rescue her.

_Ha, ha, very funny, Harry._

_ Sorry._

_ Bah! Relax. You're going to save me and you know it, so why are you so worried. And don't give me the answer that you are currently thinking, because I am not accepting that answer._

_ You're in stasis!_

_ Prat –Really, Mr. Potter, you need to come up with better excuses._

The horn sounded, and Harry dived, making a very loud splash. At least they put the 'hidden' charm on his tail, so nobody would see it. The charm made sure that it was invisible to everybody except Harry, and Ginny, since they were bond-mates. It made Harry embarrassed to think about, and he heard her mentally laughing.

_Shut it._

_ I can't help it. Ooo, I wonder where I'm at under here._

_ Not helping._

_ Sorry._

_ No you're not._

_ Prat – But I love you anyways._

_ I love you too._

_ Good, now come and find me!_

Rolling his eyes, as Harry swam; he looked down at his hands. He was shocked. His fingers. . . . Were webbed, and he paused to find out so were his feet. Now that he thought about it, how was he even breathing? He put his hands on the side of his neck and felt gills. Gills of all things! _I feel like an even bigger freak than I already am._

_ Potter! You promised me you wouldn't say or think that again._

_ Sorry, love, can't help it._

_ Yeah, yeah, sure you can't._

_ You can tell I'm not lying._

_ You win this round._

Grinning, Harry swam deeper, and thought he saw Fleur, with a bubble-head charm, being attacked by grindylows, but he couldn't be sure. He swam deeper, until he could barely just see the bottom of the lake. It looked like an underwater town, and it was amazing. _Not dilly-dallying are we?_

He rolled his eyes but responded; _I'm coming, don't worry._

Harry swam even faster, until he finally reached the middle of the city, which ironically had a fountain in the middle of it. The whole city was green and yellow, with the occasional merperson guarding the areas. They didn't look like the merfolk Harry had been told about in muggle mythology, though. They had greenish-yellow skin, which was covered in scales, and green or yellow hair. He didn't have a chance to look at their eyes, though. What even surprised him more was that they were clad in armor. They looked as if they were dressed for war, and then he turned, and he saw the three people, connected to the lake's floor by a chain around their left ankle. But he really wasn't paying attention to the other three; he was looking at his wife and bond-mate, her fiery red hair spread out by the waves. She looked as if she was in a peaceful sleep, but in reality, she was not. She was in stasis. Harry felt his throat tighten as he turned his head, and he also saw Hermione. Harry then remembered she hadn't even been at breakfast, although he had just assumed she was doing homework or going to the loo. _Prat; even I noticed she was gone from the table today._

_ Well, you're not been very nice about this. I am the one who is supposed to be saving you, remember?_

_ Right, sorry, Harry._

_ No harm done._

A grin came to his face again, and Harry swam over to Ginny. The pain in his chest dulled some when he brushed his hand on her cheek. _Stop that, it's going to be embarrassing when the other's come._

_ Mrs. Potter, you have such a strong objection?_

_ Yes. Hey – No rolling your eyes at me, sir! I am your bond-mate!_

A partially transfigured Krum came in and bit down on the chain that Hermione was tied to. Well, it worked, only because he now had a shark's head. The chain collapsed to the lake's floor, and Krum grabbed Hermione, gently, before he started to swim back to the surface. Harry looked over at Ginny, before he took out his wand and said underwater, even though bubbles emerged, "_Bombarda!_"

It worked, somehow, as the chain fell to the lake's floor. He grabbed her by the waist, and he swore he saw a slight smile come to her lips. Cedric Diggory appeared moments later, and he got Cho Chang, but where was Fleur? A girl, no older than eight or nine, and looked very similar to the part-Veela herself, and then Harry decided what he had to do. Fleur would've been down here by now, wouldn't she? So, he swam over to the young girl, quickly, before he shot the same charm he did at Ginny's chain, and the chain fell to the lake's floor.

The merpeople did not like this at all. They started to try and attack him, just as Harry grabbed the girl by her arm, and he wasn't able to get his wand in the position to do the other charm they had practiced. A rush of adrenalin burst through him, and without raising his wand or speaking it, he yelled inside their minds, _Protego!_

A silvery blue shield that was as clear as day burst from the air in front of them, and the merpeople screamed as they were pushed away from the three. Harry could feel Ginny's shock and excitement; as yet again, he did wandless and silent magic, as he said inside their minds, _Confringo_! He also looked downwards as he did this, and a fiery explosion of green and red fire extinguished before it could get out of control, although they were shot from the lake's smooth floor and towards the surface at a rapid pace.

_Harry, you did wandless and silent magic!_

_ I know._

_ That's . . . . Even Bill said he could only do both types of magic just before he got his job as a Curse-Breaker!_

_ Well, I would comment on that, but I'm trying to save us from a possible attack from grindylows at the moment._

_ I'm rooting for you, although Veela here, really Harry?_

_ We need Fleur on our side._

_ Good point._

The water broke around them, and at once, the small smile that Harry thought he had seen before, and they looked at the part-Veela. The girl's eyes were a magnificent shade of blue, and filled with fear. She coughed and sputtered, and Harry immediately started to head towards the docks, thankful that he had decided to learn the shield and small explosion charm during animagi practice. He had learned them, like the Stunning Charm, during the times that he and Ginny had alone.

When they reached the docks, Fleur looked in near tears, crying when she saw her sister. When the three of them finally got ashore, the seventeen year old ran over and helped them up, before hugging her sister, and told the two of them, "You saved 'er! You saved my sister!"

Smiling the two of them held hands, before everything went black.

XXX

_Darkness swirled around her, and Ginny curled into a tight ball. Black, everything was black. It was like a nightmare she had had before, except there was a stabbing pain, not in her chest, but on her forehead. Reaching her hand up, gingerly, she touched the spot where the pain was at. A hot feeling came from it. Taking down her hand, shakily, she saw the red liquid, blood. She tried to scream for help, but no sound came from her mouth. In fact, it was worse than before. Where was she? Was she dreaming? And where was Harry?_

_ Panic engulfed her as tears fell onto her cheeks, and she tried to look around, but the darkness wouldn't let her see past the grey floor she was on. It was cold, the room was, so very cold. Ginny shivered, and tried to close her eyes, but couldn't. They watered to the brim once more, and she cried. Would she see Harry again? Was this prison her torture? Was this all just a dream? If this was a dream, why was she dreaming like this?_

_ A flash of white came from the darkness, leaving a tunnel, and a silhouette ran towards her._

XXX

Ron Weasley sat near the two lying forms in a bed, in the Hospital Wing. Ginny and Harry were asleep, but he knew it was anything but that. Pomfrey didn't say what it was the caused the two of them to pass out after the Second Task, but she was currently having an urgent discussion with the Headmaster. Hermione sat next to him, as did Fred, George and Luna, but they were eerily quiet, as was Hermione. Ron chose not to say anything, and he saw his sister, who was not in Harry's arms, reach out a hand towards him.

Their two beds were side by side, each on one bed, each in different positions. Harry hadn't really moved much, but Ginny had. She had kicked, balled her fists, and at one point, tears had fallen down her face. What was going on? He sighed. When he pictured his best friend and sister together, it was always the happy attitude and the soul bond. But now, no; what was happening to them?

Ginny turned, her hair moving from her face, and Ron almost screamed in shock, blood leaving his face at a very rapid speed.

XXX

_Ginny stood up, shakily, and looked at Harry, the tears in hers eyes brimming over as she pulled him into a tight embrace. He hugged her back, just as strongly, but he wasn't crying like she was. Where were they? What was going on? "Harry," she cried, and he pulled away, looking at her._

_ "Yes, love?" he asked her, before his face paled slightly._

_ "What's going on? Where are we?"_

_ "In a dream, I'm pretty sure. But we can't get out of it, so don't try to. I'm not sure what's causing this."_

_ "Why can't we leave?"_

_ "Punishment, maybe; I have no idea why we can't leave, per se, but I have a good guess why we're stuck in here."_

_ "And why is that?_

_ "Well, if you think about it, you were in stasis. I think the Bond," he pointed at the ceiling, which flickered emerald green and ruby colors, "Is upset with us. But, it won't let us wake up, so we might be stuck here for a while. Depends on how long the Bond thinks it can hold us in here."_

_ She pulled him into an embrace, again, and she sighed. How long were they going to be stuck in here?_

XXX

"Bloody hell," Fred cursed.

Ron just stared, in shock, as Pomfrey rushed in. "What's the meaning for all this screaming? Oh my Lord!" she gasped, looking at the 'sleeping' form of Ginny Potter. "Dumbledore," she shrieked.

The double doors to the Hospital Wing opened once more, and Dumbledore came in, before he spoke, "Yes, Poppy?"

Ron just shook his head, and then turned to look back at his sister and brother in-law. They suddenly went into a tight embrace, before pulling away again. He honestly couldn't believe it. How had that happened to Ginny? Hermione had a hand over her mouth, and Ron knew it was to keep her from screaming at the top of her lungs. The bushy-haired witch slowly took her hand away from her mouth before looking at Dumbledore and demanding in a cracked voice, "How had that happened?"

The Headmaster, Ron had originally thought, would have scolded her for using such language at him, but he made no move to say so. Instead, he looked at her, and replied, "I do not know, Miss Granger, but we will get to the bottom of this. I suggest you let Poppy here give you all a Calming Draught, before heading down to dinner."

"Aye, you'll all need a good dose of the draught," Pomfrey nodded, before going off to her cupboards.  
Ron just shook his head, before looking back at the two of them. Evidently, he didn't like what he saw.

XXX

_The blackness turned to emerald and ruby, and the two of them sighed in relief. "I think we can actually escape now," Harry grinned._

_ "Escape, ha. But yes, we really do need to. I don't want to be stuck in here for any longer than we have to be," Ginny replied._

_ Smiling, the two of them clasped hands, before they closed their eyes and concentrated. At once, a small tugging form fell onto them, and that made them concentrate all the more harder. They really did need to get out of there, it was the only way. Harry and Ginny still had a long time to go and they didn't want to be in a coma-like mode forever. The tug got stronger, and they focused on it all the more harder. Finally, the entire room vanished altogether, leaving the two of them in a black abyss._

XXX

Harry's eyes snapped open, and he looked over at Ginny. They were holding hands, and it looked as if they were in the Hospital Wing, and it looked as if it was late into the night. Her eyes snapped open not long after, and Harry drew in a sharp intake of breath. Her left eye was brown, but her right eye was a shade of violet. His darned scar was also on her forehead, exactly where his was placed. _Harry, what is it?_

Grimacing, Harry sent her the image he was seeing, and her expression changed into that of horror. _I have that on my forehead?_

_ Yes, love._

_ That can't be possible._

_ I know._

Stretching, Ginny tried to get out of the combined beds, only to discover she was blocked by a small shielding charm. _What the?_

_ What's going on?_

_ I can't get out of the bed._

_ Why?_

_ I don't know!_

_ Well, this changes things up._

_ Don't get sarcastic with me, Potter._

Rolling his eyes, Harry also tried to get out of bed. A small, silvery line blocked them and he growled. Again, he tried, only to be met by the same line, once more, before it grew so that he couldn't get out of bed unless he jumped off the beds. So, that's exactly what he did. And he finally succeeded, and Ginny did the same before the line engulfed the entire space that the two beds took up, and he rolled his eyes. Dumbledore possibly couldn't think that they wouldn't try that, now would he? That was, until they were teleported back into the bed. _Bloody hell!_

_ I know!_

_ Why exactly does he want us in these beds so badly?_

_ No idea._

Growling, Harry muttered under his breath, "Protego."

The silvery shield was overcome by the blue one, and they got out of bed again. "Why didn't I think of that beforehand?"

"And why does Dumbledore not want us to move so badly?" Ginny asked before she turned to see a mirror, and she shrieked.


	22. Chapter 21: Matched

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! It really means a lot to me, so thanks. I had troubles with this chapter, but decided that it was good how it is. *Edited because of accident while typing***

Ginny turned to Harry, and she was frightened beyond what she had ever been. She had the scar, and her eyes! What on earth was going on? Why did she look like this? It wasn't normal, wasn't right. But thankfully, Harry caught her before her legs gave out. Although, he was only a few inches taller than her, he was still able to catch her. _Calm down, Ginny; this is going to get us nowhere at the moment. Think we can sneak out of the Hospital Wing?_

_ I don't know! But Harry, what about this? _She pointed at the scar and her eyes.

_We'll figure it out, later, hopefully. But at the moment, we really need to find a way to escape this place._

"Trying to escape, I suppose?" Madam Poppy Pomfrey asked, and the two of them whirled around, eyes shocked, as Pomfrey gave them an once-over with her eyes. "Your eyes are going back to normal, but that _wound _shows no signs of disappearing," she conjured an armchair with her wand, "I told Dumbledore that the scar is like its partner, matched, even. It shows no sign of ever healing properly," the two of them walked over and sat down in the armchair, "Dumbledore said that your parents and guardians aren't allowed to see the two of you, since he has some urgent matters to discuss with them. But, thank heavens; the two of you are alright. You were out for a few hours! Frankly, shortly after Mr. Weasley and your friends arrived later on, no visitors were allowed to see the two of you. Probably drove them insane, I'm pretty sure."

"We were out for that long?" they spoke, Ginny grasping Harry's hand.

"Yes, well, that's not a big surprise. Although, having that much power to actually get rid of Dumbledore's protection ward is. You two are probably very hungry, I suppose? No matter, it seems that your friends gave you quite a bit of chocolate, which I suggest you both eat."

Nodding, the two of them summoned, verbally and with their wands, six chocolate frogs, three for each, before they went through them rather quickly. Pomfrey went over to one of her large cabinets before she pulled out two purple potions, and handed one to Ginny, before giving the other to Harry. "It's a nutrient potion," the matron explained, "You two haven't eaten for an entire week! I suppose that you two have clearance, but only after tonight! It wouldn't be good for the two of you to not be allowed to go to your classes, although I suppose that scar would bring up quite a lot of questions, now, wouldn't it?"

Pomfrey turned and went back to her office, leaving the two of them to think. _Why were we out in the first place?_

_ Think we can escape?_

_ You can bet on it; I'm surprised she didn't change our robes into hospital gowns, though._

_ Me too; got your invisibility cloak?_

_ Yep._

Grinning, Ginny watched as Harry got out his invisibility cloak and put it around the two of them, before they grabbed the rest of the chocolate, which wasn't much, and silently walked back to the Gryffindor Tower. When they got there, however, the Fat Lady looked at them, surprised, as they took off the cloak. "So you two decided to come back?" she scoffed, before Harry gave her the password and they went inside.

Whatever they were expecting, it wasn't the eerie silence they were met with. Ginny quickly covered the new scar on her forehead, embarrassed, but nobody was there except for Luna and George. Luna was fast asleep on his lap, while he was staring into the fireplace, his expression grim, and then he looked up. "She released you two, I suppose?" he asked, and they nodded, "Everybody else went upstairs. Luna, well, let's just say the Daily Prophet's article hasn't been doing too well on her sleeping hours lately."

"No, we snuck out. But, Luna's been having nightmares?" Ginny asked as they sat down.

"Yep; we didn't do animagi practice like planned tonight, but we thought that it was probably best. With you two out, it wasn't really possible," George replied, before Luna stirred, and her eyes snapped open.

"Georgie, I'm sorry I fell asleep so suddenly," she yawned, before she turned to look at her friends, "It's nice to know that you two are okay."

And with that, Luna Lovegood got up and went up to the girls' dormitories, and George just shrugged before he went up to the boys' dormitories. _I have a feeling something isn't going to go well tomorrow._

XXX

All chatter stopped. Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to look at the two of them, and many people gasped. Synchronized, the two of them walked over to the Gryffindor table. Even their steps were met in synchronization, and many of the people didn't even know what to say, because whatever they wanted to say left their throats so suddenly, that the whole Great Hall turned into a dead quiet. Dumbledore had warned them beforehand that Mr. and Mrs. Potter would be up later than usual, towards the end of breakfast, and to not disturb their privacy, but nobody expected this.

The two of them sat down, before Harry Potter piled their plates with the same type of foods, and gave Ginny Potter, nee Weasley her plate back. She took it graciously, and by the time chatter started up again, the two of them were just beginning to eat. Their friends, who looked slightly shocked, did not say anything more out loud, until the bushy-haired witch turned to look at them, "Hello Harry and Ginny," she smiled, before turning back to her book.

"Hello," they said, again in synchronization, and to their friends, it was a normal thing. But to everybody else, it wasn't.

One seventeen year old Beauxbatons student just turned back to her breakfast and muttered, "Well, everybody's being an idiot except those seven at the moment." But nobody heard her speak.

There was one thing that was odd about them, but nobody made the move to say so. There was one thing that didn't fit. But nobody questioned it, and not a single person talked to the pack, so they talked amongst themselves. And that was certainly strange, but nobody could make the move to say a single thing to them because when they did, they saw a lightning-bolt shaped scar on each of Harry and Ginny's foreheads, and so nobody talked to them at all.

When it was time to go to class, the same two students walked up and left the table, where they were guarded by their friend's family and even more friends who were fellow Gryffindors. Some students, who thought they were brave enough, made a move to follow them, but were not able to. In fact, nobody was able to, because they had the feeling that the two of them were sharing a private conversation, although they did not make a single sound. And the students were right.

_You think Snape will treat us differently?_

_ I am sure of it._

Harry and Ginny Potter made their way down to the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle, and they walked to the table that they used, getting out Harry's cauldron and their books. Other students began walking in, their whispers like a nightmare, but nobody made the move to say anything, until Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger arrived. "You know, you two aren't acting like normal, and it's not going to help the situation much. Hiding inside your room for the whole day yesterday didn't help much either," the bushy-haired fifteen year old said.

The two of them, however, just smiled at her, before they turned to look at what that day's Potion was. When they saw it, the two of them immediately started their potion, in a fast-working pace of cutting up the ingredients that nobody had ever seen before. A hint of amusement filled the air, and Professor Snape turned to look at them. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the two. "Potters; did I tell you to work that quickly? Five points from Gryffindor."

The two students looked up at him, their expressions blank, before they turned back to their potion. Their speed didn't falter at all. Frankly, they really didn't care. But it seemed that Snape did, but he walked away. "Longbottom, the color is supposed to be red, not blue! Ten points from Gryffindor." And Snape then walked over to the Slytherin side of the room.

When the class was over, students collected their potions into the vials and handed them in. Harry and Ginny handed in theirs, and Snape's eyebrows rose. The color of the potion was the desired bright shade of red, the exact shade of red. But when he tried to comment, Harry and Ginny were already walking out of the classroom. The two students listened to the intense discussion between their two best friends as Ron and Hermione argued. It was a common thing they did, although the two Potters didn't say a single word.

"Hi Ginny," Edith Newton smiled, when she walked up to them.

Newton was in Ginny's year before Winter Break, and was usually shy towards almost everyone. But, Ginny smiled and nodded back, before they left her to the gossiping girls in the third and fourth year, and the excited chatter began once more. Hermione rolled her eyes as she watched this, and Ron was too deep in their conversation to even care. But Harry and Ginny Potter were definitely two odd students at the moment.

"Practice tonight," Ginny announced when all seven of them were at dinner later that evening, and the excitement almost radiated from their five friends.

XXX

Sybil Trelawney enjoyed a nice cup of tea, while reading a book on Divination in her room at Hogwarts. Frankly, she knew that there was something interesting about the events surrounding Harry and Ginevra Potter, but she didn't say anything about it during her classes. She was one of the select few who knew about Harry's fate, for a quiet whisper told her these things. The whisper was child-like and full of innocence, and it seemed that fate herself told her these things, but in reality, it wasn't fate.

Sybil's body froze up, going rigid, and her eyes lost their focus behind her glasses. That child-like voice, although many would say that they had never heard it, only Dumbledore and Snape had, although she knew none of this. The voice rasped:

"_The Ides of March quickly approach, like a lamb,_

_The Dark Lord and his followers will return on the night of the final Task,_

_An unknown traitor will cause the emerald and ruby to help raise his Master,_

_The emerald and ruby will regain their spots as King and Queen,_

_And June will succumb to the outbreak.  
August will go out like a lion,_

_Letting the chess pieces to come alive once more,_

_With the final stamp of fate; the old prophecy will start to take place."_

Sybil shook her head, and looked down at her shattered cup of tea. What had she just said? Picking up her book, Trelawney muttered, "It seems that I've dropped my tea."

XXX

Harry sighed as he sat there, working on his homework, Ginny sitting right next to him. It had been a long practice, although Hermione had successfully completed the binding spell, much to her friends' excitement. She was one step closer, and Fred was on the verge of completing the spell while Ron still had some troubles. George and Luna were now practicing the actual transformation spell, although it was without their wands.

_Do you think . . . .?_

_ I think our friends will be able to become animagi._

_ But you can't be sure._

_ Ginny, I'm positive about George, Luna, and Hermione. Fred, yes, Ron I'm pretty sure will accomplish it too. It just takes time, and it won't be very be easy for them. Besides, it isn't our place to think about it like this._

_ I know._

_ Prat; we still have our homework to finish, mind you._

_ I know._

Yawning, the two of them went back to work, focusing on their homework as they sat at the foot of their bed. It was complicated, yes, but both took ease in knowing that they weren't alone in the fact that they wouldn't be the only animagi in their group. Well, Harry wasn't exactly an animagus, but he was close enough to one that they didn't put up a fuss when they used the word as a classification for the two of them. But, there was something that Harry couldn't shake off, like he was being watched.

_Now you're making me worried._

_ Sorry._

_ Yeah, sure you are._

_ Don't be cheeky with me, Mrs. Potter!_

Ginny erupted into a fit of giggles, and they only increased when he started laughing too. Truth be told, their entire day was strange, since on Sunday they had had a history of the Potter lineage 'lesson' with Sarah and James. James was actually the spitting image of Godric Gryffindor supposedly, although it made since he was the grandson of the founder of the Gryffindor House himself. It turned out that as the oldest and only survivor in the Ravenclaw lineage, this made Harry the heir. It turned out, which Sarah had forgotten; they had a second son, Charles Potter. It turned out, that Charles had married Cosmos Lovegood, only child of Elladora Black, who had her but gave her to her 'traitor' lover Gregovitch Lovegood, although he could be mistaken for Gregorovitch, he was not him. The two of them died, of course, although Cosmos and Charles had one daughter, Sapphire, who didn't live past her nineteenth birthday, due to the fact that she had gotten a horrid case of dragon pox, and then not long after spattergroit, which led to her death.

James and Sarah told them that the Potters had a bunch of only child sons for generations, partially because that the generation before the last known one was deleted from Magical History because there had been three girls older than one son, and the blood bath was so bad, that they deleted it from history. Ironically, the son survived, and there was a 'curse' supposedly on the family that prevented them from having any girls afterwards. The curse was considered lifted when Harry's parents married, since the Potters only married pure-bloods, and he had decided to marry a muggle-born. But, Sapphire Potter wasn't known until her death in 1984, so they discounted the considered curse, and just thought that they had a lot of sons just because.

It turned out that James wasn't as crazy as his wife and bond-mate before their deaths, as his portrait had originally been hung in Gryffindor Tower, in front of the room, his successor being his grandfather Ejan Gryffindor, and Sarah's portrait was painted after her death. The lady in the portrait, as many called her in Ravenclaw Tower, the younger students would make fun of her, and the older students at the time didn't help her at all, so Dumbledore actually switched their paintings, and made the Ravenclaw students, who were in their seventh year by then, formally apologize to the portraits and the school itself.

When their homework was finished, the two of them got into their night clothes and went to bed, and neither of them was aware of the smiling paintings of Sarah and James Potter.

XXX

_Ginny watched her friends quietly. How did she get here in the first place? She didn't know. What was more was that she didn't know where she had been beforehand, except for that it was shortly before History of Magic taught by Professor Binns started. But then, her mind went into a complete blank. When she had recovered, she was in the Great Hall, and chicken feathers were on her robes. Why?_

_ Shaking her head, Ginny remained quiet until after dinner. When she got up to leave, Harry turned to look at her, his bright emerald green eyes hidden behind his fake glasses, he stared at her for a moment, before he asked, "Ginny, are you alright?"_

_ "I'm fine," she muttered, before leaving._

_ A sinking feeling came over her. She caused Hermione to not be here; she petrified Colin Creevey. She was sure of it. Who else could explain their states in the Hospital Wing? At her wits end, the red haired eleven year old continued her way up to Gryffindor Tower, barely aware of the black wolf following her, until she turned around. Her eyes narrowing, a sudden calmness tried to take her over. No, she had to fight that calmness. It came last time. She had to fight it. "Harry. . . . Get out of here," she rasped, before turning and running as fast as she could._

_ Finding herself in Myrtle's bathroom, she took out Riddle's diary, which she had just re-obtained, and threw it on the ground. "Riddle, you coward," she growled._

_ "Oh, it's you," Myrtle snapped, before the wailing ghost turned and floated away._

_ The calmness came back over her, and she was barely aware of the startled form of Harry Potter watching her. She would tell them, tonight. If she could, "You know Ginevra," Riddle's voice laughed inside her head, "I thought you would've given up by now."_

_ Startled, Ginny accidentally let the calmness wash over her._

_ And then everything went black._

**A/N: Just a little tag-a-long at the end of this chapter. Honestly, I'm not good at writing prophecies, so that was the best I could come up with. I added the 'chess pieces' as I always thought of Dumbledore and Voldemort using their people as chess pieces in the book, and Harry was always the king, Ginny wound up being his queen, and Ron and Hermione were the knights. That was just my thinking. And then, I decided, a little Response to a Review could be used:**

**Review by darrelldeam: ****Very interesting, the Bond apparently knows they were apart too long and is punishing them for it, however if it's sentient enough to do that than it should be able to recognize that it was done to them rather than by them and thus the punishment was earned by others.**

Frankly I'm enjoying this story very much. You've following cannon closely but not too closely which allows you freedom to do things while at the same time allows your readers some predictability to make it an easier read. I'm looking forward to future chapters.

**Response: The Bond, in a way, is sentient. It is watching over them, like a guardian angel, and it's punishing them in a way, but also sending a message to Dumbledore and everybody else that it isn't going to tolerate them being apart so long. While debatable, the Bond is also watching through their eyes. I think of it as a guardian angel, yes, but also as a emerald and ruby big string of yarn, since a rope seems not enough comfortable, keeping those two in the Bond. Yes, I follow canon closely, but only because I think that Harry's life like in this fanfiction would be similar to that of the canon. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for the review, by the way!**


	23. Chapter 22: Discussions

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: Another chapter done! I'm glad that you all are enjoying this story a lot, because I'm enjoying writing it. We're nearing the end of this story, although I can't say the exact number of chapters until the end of this fanfiction, because I might have time skips like this one and the whole mess of the Third Task still has to be finished. I'm pretty sure the next one, **_**Destined Fate**_**, will be rated M because of the violence that has to take place in it, although I'm not sure. You'll know when you see it. There just isn't much information given on the times between the beginning of March and the Third Task, except for what it would be, and I think I've already written the needed information, so after this chapter, the Third Task will be written. I'm just giving you the warning, because there's going to be not a lot more to write about after this chapter before the Third Task, so there. There's not much more I can say; so without further ado, the chapter!**

Trelawney's prophecy was right; the Ides of March did come in like a lamb. Although questions arose at Harry and Ginny, they answered them as politely as they could, and they were impressed that they could actually do that even. Privacy was good, and nobody really got too pushy with the answers, and the two of them were too discreet anyways. Fred completed the binding spell, and Ron was on the verge of completing it, so almost everything was good in hand.

Harry and Ginny were just beginning to find their way back from a deep section of the library, and a sense of déjà vu washed over him. And he heard students whispering at a table on the other side of the bookshelf, and it was almost like a memory out of his second year. "–Really, Lavender, why would you say that," spoke the hushed voice of Hannah Abbott.

"Well, we haven't seen Ginny in our dorms, or the third year dorms, since Winter Break! Where else could she possibly be?" Lavender questioned.

"I don't know, but she's in your house! It isn't like she is actually able to switch houses! And what about Potter, he's been missing too! Dean told us he was, so where could they be? Sleeping together, you suppose?" Ernie Macmillan hissed.

"Hey, at least give those two some privacy, because it isn't their fault that they can't help it," Susan Bones reasoned.

"Susan's right. We need to give them some privacy, like Dumbledore said. So what if she has his scar? She isn't the bloody Girl Who Lived, although you could say that since they are bonded. But we need to give them some time, and no asking questions until they say it's alright to do so, which will probably be never," said Parvati Patil, although Harry and Ginny left the library before they could hear anymore of the discussion.

_So, we have a little fan club._

_ More like an anti-privacy club. The nerve of them! At least Parvati and Susan didn't want us to be put under anymore pressure._

_ Yeah, but I can't help but feel like I've been betrayed._

XXX

"So, she has the scar on her forehead now," Moonstone Lovegood scowled, "Dumbledore, the Bond isn't happy with you. And frankly, we aren't either. You put those two in danger by putting Mrs. Potter in stasis! Do you realize what that could mean for them? You're lucky we haven't met them yet, Albus, because if we did, we would tell them that they were being punished just because of you. You can't continue to put them in danger, Dumbledore, and you know it."

Dumbledore sighed. Yes it was his fault, he would admit that. He wasn't very good at being a good Headmaster during this time. He was currently trying to convince them it wasn't his fault, but alas, they were much older than him. In fact, it wasn't possible for him to even try to convince them. He could only hope that they wouldn't try to slaughter him even more.

XXX

_You'll be fighting inside a maze! Harry, the whole thing is mad!_

_ And why is it mad? There are dangerous creatures in there, yes, but I'll be fine. I have a good idea on how to stop them._

_ What about the Blast-Ended Skrewts?_

Harry winced. _I hadn't actually thought about them._

_ Prat, that's an obvious sign, isn't it?_

_ Yeah, it is. Sorry Ginny, but I have to compete._

She growled, before rolling her eyes. _If you do not come out of there alive, Mr. Potter, so help me, I will personally take down Fudge myself. I'm not letting you die out there, you hear me? Besides, as my bond-mate, I could probably just revive you anyways, but still. I have a bad feeling about this, Potter, and if you die, that's my promise. Sirius and Mary couldn't stop me, neither could Mum or Dad. So there you have it._

_ Yes, love._

"Potters," Moody spoke up, his magical eye whizzing around, "Can you tell me what I just said?"

_Crap._

_ Don't worry, love, I was listening to him._

_ Since when do you call me love? I thought I always did that._

_ Well, now I am too._

"Well sir, you were talking about the Imperius Curse. . . ."

". . . . And that one of the major signs was that they had a dazed expression. . . ."

". . . . Or that they couldn't produce a Patronus since a Patronus cannot lie."

"Correct. Twenty points to Gryffindor. A person under the Imperius Curse cannot produce a Patronus, since a Patronus cannot lie, so they will often send messages through owls or memos in the Ministry of Magic," Moody snarled.

_That was a close one._

_ Sure it was._

_ Sarcasm, I suppose?_

_ Yep._

XXX

Hermione closed her book, took out her jar, and snapped the odd-colored beetle inside the jar, before poking holes on the jar lid. "Hello Miss Skeeter," her eyes narrowed, "I believe you were trying to get something for the Daily Prophet? Too bad, because it wasn't wise to try and hurt my friends, and I won't tolerate it. I will release you, after the Third Task, on one condition. You are not allowed to write anything for the Daily Prophet or any other newspaper anymore. If you try to do so, and believe me, I will know, I will personally reveal to the Ministry of Magic that you have an unregistered animagus form. And I don't think you would want me to do that, now would you?"

The beetle shrank back in the jar, and Hermione smiled. Sometimes, catching a criminal was too easy. But, that was what Ron wanted to do, so she wouldn't say anything. Harry wanted to become an Auror too, but she was pretty sure that had changed when they found out about their bond. Sighing, the fifteen year old witch walked away, putting the jar which held Rita Skeeter in her bag, and then she went off to find her friends.

XXX

The Ides of March passed, quiet and calm; and the day of the final Task approached even quicker than they did. Students were excited, scared, or even hopeful, but two particular Gryffindors were anything but. They sat in the shade of the tree by the Lake, enjoying the shade on that Saturday as they watched their friends, except for Hermione, who was inside doing her homework. Their other four friends were chasing each other around, and it was amusing to them that they at one point even had the Giant Squid join in on the fun.

The Third task was only about two weeks away, and Harry wondered how they had let so much time pass by without anything interesting. Ron completed the binding spell, which was a wonderful surprise, but there wasn't much more for them to actually have in the way of fun. Animagi practice was now much more difficult for their friends, and they tried their best to help them out, although neither of them had this difficulty before. For one, Harry didn't need to become an animagus in the first place, and Ginny was connected to the wandless magic unknowingly. George and Luna already were on the verge of completing the transformation, surprisingly, but the rest of their friends had what they called 'the barrier' on the wandless magic. When they tried, they couldn't do it, which got them into major frustration; although Harry and Ginny didn't say anything other than that they needed a calm attitude. Not to mention that tomorrow was the beginning of the end of year exams, OWLS, and NEWTS, but the Triwizard Champions and surprisingly Ginny wouldn't have to do them. Ginny didn't have to do it only because that if she did it, it would be equivalent to Harry doing the exams, and champions were given the excuse of not having to take the exams.

_Do you think?_

_ I have a bad feeling like before, still, but yes Harry, I think it's just my imagination._

_ Worried, more like it, _a grin spread onto his face.

_Prat; the promise still stands, you know._

_ I know._

Sighing, the two of them got up slowly, and walked back into Hogwarts Castle. Their friends didn't mind, as the two of them were clearly not in the mood to talk. They went through many of the corridors, before they wound up in front of the Fat Lady. The portrait sighed when they gave her the password, and they went inside to see Hermione working on her homework, the piles of books and parchment laid out on the floor in front of her. The fifteen year old witch closed the book that was in her lap, and looked up to see them. "Hello," they greeted her, still in their synchronization.

"Hi Ginny, hi Harry," Hermione replied, before grabbing yet another book.

Harry and Ginny nodded and smiled, before they went over to Sarah's portrait. "Password," the raven haired painting asked.

"Ruby Minuit," Ginny said and the portrait swung open, and the two of them stepped inside to see their room, as always.

Walking in, the two of them collapsed onto their bed, both of them sighing once more. It was hard, in all honesty, to actually think about the Third Task, because that by far was the most dangerous of the three. The dragon wasn't really all that dangerous because Harry already knew how to fight it, and the Lake, while painful, he was able to rescue Ginny and Miss Delacour easily. But the maze, it had an ominous sense of unpredictability, and it was honestly very frightening when they thought about it.

And so, the two of them fell into a restful sleep, unlike their usual nightmares and horrifying memories

XXX

_Ginny ran, as fast as she could, trying to catch up. "Harry, wait for me!" she called out, laughing._

_ He turned around, and an unusual grin came onto his face, the grin of pure happiness that even she herself rarely got to see. "And why should I do that, Mrs. Potter?"_

_ Catching up to him, she panted, and then replied, "You know why! Mary is fixing lunch and I know you don't want to miss it."_

_ "True," Harry nodded, before he sat down._

_ They were in a meadow, one filled with violets, daffodils, daisies, and dandelions. The grass was a brilliant shade of green and neither of them really had a care in the world at the moment. The white dress she was wearing hung to her ankles, and she was barefoot, her fiery red hair blowing in the soft summer breeze. Deciding to sit down with him, they watched as one of their fawns came up to them, before it sat down with them too. Harry held out his hand, and the fawn ate the treat that he had pulled out of the bag on his belt, and the two of them smiled. Smoke rose from a chimney in the distance, the chimney belonging to an elegant mansion silhouettes of their family enjoying the sun were like specks because they were so far away. The fawn hopped away, back to its mother, and their animals were even enjoying the warm weather._

_ They stayed there for a few more minutes, before Harry got up and offered his hand to help her. She took it, smiling, and the two of them started to head back towards the mansion, their hands still clasped together. As they got closer, they could see the strawberry blonde, dirty blonde and pale blonde even, red, black, and even a few colors that didn't even belong on hair. Harry and Ginny shook their heads with laughter as they watched ten kids no older than ten playing with a ball, bouncing it back and forth continuously._

_ Walking inside, the two of them enjoyed the fresh cool air from the mansion, white marble walls and columns making the white shaggy carpet seem perfect._

_ And then everything went black._

XXX

Harry and Ginny awoke not long after the dream ended, the sun not even shining inside their room. Something was wrong. Sarah and James came rushing into the blank portrait, both audibly panting before they spoke up, "It's time to get up! The Third Task is today!"

Memories came back from the last two weeks, and both let out a sigh as they got ready for the day. Both went down the stairs at seven in the morning, much later than they usually had for most of the entire school year, and were shocked to see the entire Great Hall like it was at nine. Their friends had saved their seats, as always went they woke up later in the day, and they sat down. Hermione was reading a book, like always, and Fred and Ron and even George were having a conversation about Quidditch. Luna just stared off, but her expression was anything but dreamy. No, her eyes had a look of horror in them, and Harry winced at the sight. Had she been having more nightmares?

_Okay Potter, the Third Task is today._

_ I knew that._

_ Let me finish! Because the Third Task is today, you are going to have to work hard. We trained, correct? I don't want you dying, and neither do you. So get that cup for me and if you can't, just know that I love you anyways._

_ I love you too._

_ I know that._

A grin spread onto her face, and they spent the rest of the time they had in silent conversation, watching their friends talk and the like. Tensions flamed in both of their emotions, and the worried feeling came back to her when he told her continuous times that he would be fine. Harry didn't blame her, though. It was only natural for her to be worried, although he wished she wasn't. Hermione, Ron, Fred, George and Luna all at one point got into a conversation with them, although they were interrupted quite a bit when other students wished him luck, especially their fellow Gryffindors.

XXX

Fred Weasley sighed, shaking his head as he roamed the corridors of the Castle. He wasn't particularly fond of having the Third Task coming up, although nobody knew what it was since only the champions and somehow Ginny were actually allowed to see it. But, that didn't matter. He was bored, to put it bluntly. George, although his twin had been bonded, and when Luna needed comforting, George would comply. It wasn't exactly jealousy, but it meant that his identical twin couldn't exactly be around lately, thanks to the cow Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet. Heck, their seventeenth birthday had passed, and even though his brothers, brother in-law, sister, friend, and future sister in-law had celebrated along with the rest of the Gryffindor House, a feeling of uncertainty washed over him.

"– Not my fault, Quinn; we are trying to help them, and yes, I know Dumbledore is acting like the usual, but we can't just give up on them!" sighed an exasperated woman, her accent like an American's.

Obviously, the man next to her didn't say anything, but he pointed at Fred, and the woman stopped ranting and turned to look at Fred Weasley. "Oh!" she gasped, before smiling, "You must be Fred Weasley. Yes, you look exactly like him, now that I think about it. Well, it's been nice meeting you, but I'm afraid we have to go."

And with that, the woman and the man left the corridor with a resounding 'pop'. Fred shook his head, looking again at where they had just been. Nobody could apparate or disapparate inside of Hogwarts! Indeed, that was a mystery that Fred wanted the exact answer to. Sighing, he continued on down the corridor, before running into the familiar face of Angelina Johnson.

"Oops!" she gasped, before looking up at him, "I'm sorry!"

"Its fine," he mumbled, and she turned to look at him.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nah, just thinking," he replied.

"You're not a very good liar without George, you know."

Frowning, Fred turned away from her and continued on his way. "Aren't you going to watch the final Task? I can walk down with you, you know!"

She caught up to him and grabbed his arm, causing him to turn around in shock. "Do you not want to watch the match?"

He shrugged, "I don't know."

"Then c'mon, then; we can go down together!"

Letting her lead the way, Fred Weasley walked with Angelina Johnson down to the Quidditch Pitch, which was being used for a hedge maze.

**A/N: Yeah, I know; I time-skipped a lot in this chapter. Couldn't really find anything else interesting about Harry and Ginny's fourth year in the span of March to the Third Task; and I also decided to put the end in because I haven't really done anything mainly about Fred until now. Well, see you next chapter!**


	24. Chapter 23: Third Task

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: and now, we begin into the final part of this story. I'm not exactly sure how what goes on in the Third Task is going to be taken well, but this is just how the story works. So, without further ado, the chapter!**

Running; that was what mattered.

Running for his life was one thing.

Running for Ginny was another.

Sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

Harry Potter, age fourteen, Triwizard Champion and the bloody Boy Who Lived ran for his life inside a maze of hedges. He was currently following his instincts, not really caring about who got him and who didn't, but still retained his human form. He hated the dark green that he was met with, but didn't hear the booms and crashes coming from the other side of the maze. No, even with his alarming good sense of hearing, he wasn't focusing on that. He was focusing on winning the Triwizard Tournament. At break-neck speed, he ran. But at the moment, only Ginny concerned his thoughts. Somehow, though, his wolf-like instincts kicked in at one point, as well as an extra boost of adrenaline. And now, well, he was taking those two advantages like nobody else would recognize him for. He fought, clawed, casted spells, and did everything he could to prevent anybody from harming him. And somehow, it worked.

Snarling, he made his way past the sphinx, who was beyond frightened when he spoke in her mother-tongue, and he made his way past an Imperiused Krum, but not before the Durmstrang student was able to knock Fleur unconscious. Harry, just for a moment, grabbed his wand and regained the use of his body. He shot up the red sparks with his hand, before he went back to running. Night overcame the horizon at one point, because the whole part of the maze went pitch black. Luckily, though, he could still see perfectly. But, he didn't need his sight. He needed his use of smell, touch, taste, and hearing. And he used those four senses, as well as his sixth sense of animal and creature detecting to his personal advantage. It wasn't cheating; it was his way of doing things.

Laughing, he fought with his wand against countless creatures. They all cowered when they saw him, but frankly, he didn't care. Harry Potter let what he called his 'monster' side take over, enjoying the ride of watching the creatures suffer. He wasn't heartless, though, because he didn't kill. That, in years to come, was what many people would say was amazing. Harry did not kill a single creature in that maze, and he made sure that he wouldn't do so. Sliding, in the dirt mud and slippery grass, he made his way through the maze.

_Harry. . . ._

_ What?_

_ I thought you didn't want to do this._

Running, he made his way through the maze.

Only one voice could reason with his still sane mind.

Only Ginny Molly Potter, nee Weasley, could.

_I can't help it._

_ I know._

_ Are you disappointed?_

_ No, just more or less wishing I could be there with you._

_ Ha, ha, very funny._

His scar prickled. Why on earth was his scar giving him a sharp and stinging pain? Why? But Harry didn't have time to ponder this; he was currently defeating a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Once he made sure the crazy and wild animal wasn't dead, he continued on. At the very least, Harry Potter was not acting like his usual self. If a person would look at him, they would see the scar, yes, but also a very mocking expression in the green and yellow eyes he had. The yellow eye signified that he was letting his animal side compete, not his usual self. Gore splattered in a trail where ever the young fourteen year old boy went, and a feeling of despair and the feeling of glory would come from anybody who watched him go through the maze. Inhuman speed matched his entire look, and the young boy laughed, one of a tight-kept person who had been wishing to be freed for his whole life. Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, once had this laugh. Many more would have the maniacal feeling, but no one else would ever be able to fully see how bad the young boy looked.

Only one person could.

Only _she_ could.

Harry saw through her eyes what exactly was going on in the stands. Sirius and Mary, unrecognizable, were right next to young Ginny, as well as her entire family, except for Percy. The exception in the Weasley family was currently in the stands, taking a supposedly missing Crouch's place. Something was strange about the whole case that revolved around Bartemius Crouch's disappearance, and the British Ministry of Magic was currently looking in on the whole subject. But, in the mean time, Percy was currently taking his place at the MoM as well as judge in the Triwizard Tournament. Luna and Hermione, the dirty blonde waif becoming part of the family one day while Hermione was an honorary member of the red haired clan, were right next to them, as well as Angelina Johnson. They were also surrounded by fellow members of Gryffindor and the good friends of the Gryffindors. All in all, there was an entire crowd surrounding Ginny, and nobody could get a proper view of her. Luna was right next to her, as well as George, Hermione, and Ron. Somehow, Angelina had succeeded in getting Fred to be right next to her, although nobody made comment, and Ginny remained quiet during the whole ordeal. Besides, who could blame her, when she was seeing the whole maze in her mind?

Fear; the smell of fear reached him.

Turning, he looked over to see Cedric Diggory fighting for his life against a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Harry ran, and Cedric looked up just in time to see, shocked, Harry run with inhuman speed and jump onto the Skrewt. In a matter, of seconds, the giant creature was down on the ground, and Harry jumped off the beast. "How'd you do that?" Cedric asked nervously.

_Damn it._

_ It's your own fault._

_ I know that._

"Natural talent," Harry muttered, twisting his broken ankle back into place, and the fracture healed within seconds.

And then they saw the cup.

The Triwizard Champion's Cup, the key to winning the Triwizard Tournament, and it was only a few feet away. The crystal blue that radiated from it was astounding. Even Harry himself looked at the cup, not in awe like Cedric, but with interest. "You go get it," Harry decided.

"No, you saved my life; you deserve it," Cedric looked down at the small, raven haired fourteen year old boy, "Even if you have something to hide."

"I'm not grabbing it."

"How about we get it together?"

"Together?"

Cedric nodded, and Harry sighed, "Fine."

And then, the two of them dashed at the cup, grabbing it at the same time, before the maze disappeared entirely.

XXX

Ginevra Molly Potter sat right next to her family.

Something was wrong.

Not, there, though, but Harry had just disappeared.

"Ginny? Are you alright?" Hermione asked her.

"The Cup – It's a portkey!" she gasped. "Harry and Cedric grabbed the cup – Oh no!"

And that was when Ginevra Potter disappeared from the stands, much to the pure shock of her friends and family.

XXX

Coughing and sputtering, Harry wound up in a graveyard, Ginny right at his side, and Cedric Diggory only a yard away from them. The Cup lay in Harry's hands, and Ginny let out a wail. "No! I knew something wasn't right about the Third Task!" she cried, before burrowing her head into Harry's left shoulder.

"Where are we?" Cedric asked, looking around.

An angel of death caught their attention immediately, and Harry looked down at its inscription:

_TOM RIDDLE_

_1905-1943_

Harry gulped. No, gulped was the wrong word. The hairs on the back of his neck froze on end. "We need to get out of here," he decided.

An approaching silhouette found them, and upon seeing the man for the first time, it was the dark-haired man with the same dark eyes as Bellatrix, although the two of them were only related through marriage. He held a cloak, bundled unruly and tightened around something that was breathing inside of it, and Harry's scar burst into a sharp, stabbing pain. Ginny wailed even more, because the pain also came from her scar too.

A weak and raspy voice came from the cloak, and it cried out, "_Kill the spare!_"

Lestrange smiled, before he cried out, pointing his wand at Cedric, "_Avada Kedrava!_"

A burst of green light shot out of his wand, hitting Cedric full in the chest. Cedric gasped for a mere second, before he was pulled back by the force, and landed with an ear-splitting crack on a nearby tombstone, and Harry screamed in rage at what he saw. Cedric Diggory laid there, his eyes open in full shock, and they would be that for eternity.

Cedric Diggory was dead.

Ginny cried even harder, and Harry looked up at Lestrange and the cloak. "You killed him!" he growled in a fury that nobody could match.

And in one fleeting moment, the angel of death grabbed Harry and Ginny, and caught them into its grasp, putting its scythe at their throats. Ginny somehow was able to grab his hand, just his hand, and Lestrange's smile turned into a full-wide grin. A cauldron stood in the wide berth between the tombstones, which were in a circular position, and Harry and Ginny were the spectators. The cauldron was huge and coal black, and it gave off an ominous look. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Lestrange laughed, a slight drawl to his voice, "I'm so glad you could join us."

"Who are you?" Harry demanded.

"Me? I'm Rabastan Lestrange, you filthy mutt; mixed with a muggle-born, I'm surprised that your father actually liked your mother. And your little whore here isn't much better."

"Don't you call Ginny a whore," he snarled.

_Harry, don't do this!_

"Oh? It seems that you're affected by this, although I'm not surprised. Thought you could escape, eh? Well, that isn't possible, thanks to that statue holding you in place. Aye, you're going to die tonight, Potters, just like your filthy parents. But enough of my babbling, it's time."

The cauldron's contents bubbled and boiled and Rabastan put the cloak and whatever was inside it down, before he picked up a bone, and said, "_Bone of the father, unknowingly given._"

_Ginny, I'm sorry I got you into this mess._

_ Harry. . . ._

Rabastan smiled once more, before he took out a knife, and walked over to Harry and Ginny. Once there, he grabbed Harry's wrist before drawing the knife onto the boy's skin. Harry and Ginny cried out in pain as both got the wound, and Rabastan walked back over to the cauldron and flicked the drops of blood into it. "_Blood of the enemy, unwillingly given,_" the man cackled.

He then took the knife, and the two closed their eyes, but the sickening thud was heard as Rabastan's hand was cut off and thrown into the cauldron. "_Flesh of the servant, you will revive your master._"

The potion cackled and bubbled even more, and another wave of pain reached Harry. He clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out, and thankful that his eyes had returned to normal color. But, he could only hope that the pain would not last forever. He felt Ginny's fear and extreme tension, although she was much more frightened than he was. What on earth was going on?

_Ginny, if you're able to get out of here, then do it._

_ I won't leave you Harry!_

_ You have to._

_ No, I don't have to and I won't._

Rabastan stirred the potion, once, and it was counter-clockwise. He then grabbed the cloak, before he unraveled it. And Harry almost screamed in shock. It looked like a combination between a snake and a baby; no legs, weak arms, pale white skin, and the skin was shriveled. It looked like a demon. Ginny gritted her teeth at what she saw but did not say anything. Instead, she gripped Harry's hand all the more tighter.

The creature fell into the cauldron, and Rabastan laughed. "Too late Potter; you and your filthy wife are too late. My master will rise once more."

The cauldron's contents now hissed and cracked, until the cauldron began to melt away by itself. The cauldron turned into a black robe, and the contents formed a man with pale skin and long fingers. And then, just like that Tom Marvolo Riddle stood in the middle of the graveyard, and Voldemort's eyes opened to reveal their gruesome crimson color. This time, Ginny screamed in shock. Harry's eyes widened, and the shooting pain came back, causing them both to go limp, and that was when the man spoke.

"_Ah, yes, I have regained my body at last,_" Voldemort spoke in Parseltongue, "_Nagini, come._"

As if on cue, a giant snake came from the direction of the great mansion in the distance, her forked tongue tasting the air. The green snake was huge, and she slithered over to her Master's feet. "_Yes Master?_" Harry and Ginny heard the snake hiss.

"_Stay put for now, but you might have a rather delicious snack later._"

The snake nodded, before Nagini wrapped herself around a tombstone, and she sat there, waiting. Harry growled involuntarily, and spoke, "_Lies! Voldemort tells you the lies of a thousand. Do not listen to him, scaled one, for he does not tell the truth._"

Nagini turned to look at him. "_How is he telling lies, gifted one?_"

"_Your master is a purist who only believes in bringing down anybody he sees as a threat! You are his slave –_"

"Enough!" Voldemort growled, "It is time for my return. Rabastan, hand me your arm."

Grinning again, the dark haired man put out his arm, which had a pure black Dark Mark on it, and Voldemort merely touched the mark with his wand, and Lestrange grinned even more.

Within a matter of minutes, a circle of Death Eaters surrounded the area where the cauldron once was, each of them in their proper uniforms. Ginny screamed once more, before Harry gave her hand a squeeze, and she stopped screaming.

_Harry, we're going to die!_

_ So what if we die? I'm not letting Voldemort escape this place either if we die._

_ Harry. . . ._

_ Love, I promise you; I will not let you die._

_ You promise?_

_ I do._

Tears slowly fell down her cheeks, and Harry saw Ginny shake her head sadly. _Cedric shouldn't have died._

_ He shouldn't have but he did, and we're going to have to sort that out later._

_ And what are we going to do now?_

_ We're going to fight._

Nodding, both of them uttered the same spell in their minds at once.

The angel of death statue blew up.

They were shoved onto the ground.

Voldemort and his followers looked up in surprise.

And that was when all chaos from the depths of hell broke loose.

**A/N: Yes, I know another rushed chapter. Sorry! Honestly, I've been trying to keep the chapters from getting rushed, but I'm in such an excited and suspenseful mood I couldn't help but make this chapter insanely rushed and filled with the questioning tone. So, see ya'll next chapter!**


	25. Chapter 24: Cold

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: I'm back with another chapter! Yep! I've been writing a lot quicker than before, since I'm in a very action-mode part, so the chapters are being written a lot faster.**

"_Avada Kedrava!_"

"_Stupefy!_"

Three wands met, and three jets of two red lights and one green light came from two different sides of the graveyard. And they met in a burst of gold light, which started the Priori Incantetem. The gold light made a web around them, and then, _it _happened.

A hand shot out of the middle, before going onto the left side of the battle. And then, to Harry's utter shock, another orb of light came out, except it soon shaped into Cedric Diggory. Cedric said, "_Harry, Ginny, take my body back, will you? Take my body back._"

Nodding and fighting through tears, Harry and Ginny kept the gold light in the middle, somehow. And then, another orb of light came out, and that too formed into the muggle man Frank Bryce, "_So he really was a wizard, eh? Well, beat him._"

Another orb of light came out, and it formed into Bertha Jorkins. "_It's Harry Potter and You-Know-Who! Harry, beat Voldemort, you can do it._"

Harry knew what was next.

Death Eaters backed away in shock as two orbs of light came out at once.

And they formed into the figures of Lily and James Potter.

"_Son, daughter in-law, you have to keep the light up until I say so. We're going to try to distract him, but it's not going to work without you two. Do you understand? You do? Alright, wait for it. Keep up the connection Harry, Ginny, keep up the connection._"

"_It's time, sweetheart, it's time to let go,_" Lily cried, ghostly tears falling down her cheeks.

And that's what they did.

Harry and Ginny Potter watched as the ghostly figures overtook Voldemort, before they ran back to the cup, blood running down their arms. They grabbed Cedric's body along the way, before the two of them grabbed the Cup's handles, ready to go back to Hogwarts. Both felt a pull to the navel as they did this, and in an instant, they landed on the muddy grass, in front of the audience. Fleur screamed in shock, and so did many others. Ginny cried, "He's back! Voldemort's back!" Many people gasped in shock, but they didn't care, "He told us to take his body back! Cedric told us!"

Nobody could say anything. Amos Diggory screamed, "That's my son! Let me see my son!" The man made his way through the people, along with his wife, and the two of them cried and wailed when they saw the body of their son. Harry's vision was hazy, blurry, even, and he collapsed onto the ground, Ginny following him moments later. Their hands were still clasped, and Dumbledore ran towards them, as well as Moody, McGonagall, and many others.

And then everything went black.

XXX

Ginny awoke to see the familiar Hospital Wing. There were curtains around one bed, and she gulped at that, because she knew who was in there, or who wasn't in there. Cedric Diggory's body was just behind those curtains. The next thing she realized was that she was in pain. Her arm hurt. Her scar hurt. She heard wailing, she heard screaming, and most of all, and she heard a voice whispering in her ear. She stiffened unwillingly, until she realized it was Harry's voice. "Gin," he whispered in relief, and she sighed, not with content, but with the heavy burden lifted off her shoulders. "They thought we were dead until I woke up."

Not trusting her voice, Ginny tried telepathy. _They thought we were dead?_

_ Yes. When we collapsed, supposedly your mum and dad rushed over to us, and didn't feel our pulses. We were cold, like Cedric's body is. They thought we were dead, I honestly can't believe it. The next thing they knew, George and Luna are aura-readers, Gin; they are. They saw our auras, but nobody believed them until I woke up. Moody wasn't the real Moody, his name was Bartemius Crouch Jr., and he killed his own father before transfiguring Crouch Sr.'s body into a bone. A bone! The real Mad-Eye is currently over there, in the other occupied hospital bed, although he pulled up the curtains. Crouch's son has just been kissed, and Dumbledore and Fudge are currently fighting over it. Honestly, I've never seen the man so mad before. Oh yeah, and the Lovegoods were here, but I didn't get to see them. Heard them, though; they're in a pure bloody riot against Dumbledore himself. It seems that they were angry at him before, but now they're in a pure rage. The entire castle actually shook, because of them, can you believe it? Supposedly, their magical cores are combined, but that means ours are too. And it's going to increase, Ginny. We're considered the fourth in the most powerful people in the world: Moonstone and Quinn, Dumbledore, Voldemort, and then us. Sirius and Mary have stabilized their bond, but ours doubled twice this year. Twice! Both times when our lives were risked; Sirius and Mary are here too, but I haven't seen them yet either, same for Molly and Arthur. The world's crashing, Gin, it really is. We've won the money, but I honestly don't want it. Cedric deserved it, but the bloody seventeen year old is dead! Dead!_

_ Harry, calm down, please, _Ginny cried mentally, tears forming in her eyes, and he stopped.

_You're right. Nobody caught us transforming, and Pomfrey blocked off our beds when we did. She put the charm on my clothes, but still!_

_ It all wasn't a dream._

_ No. It's a bloody nightmare._

"Does Dumbledore want to speak with us?"

"Yes, I do," Albus Dumbledore spoke up.

Both of them jumped, and Ginny turned to see the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sitting on a blue armchair, at the foot of their bed. "I trust that the two of you want to speak with me?" They both nodded. "Well, as you know, Voldemort has returned.

"The Minister of Magic does not believe this, however, even though Cedric Diggory was obviously hit with the Killing Curse. He calls it an 'accident'. Now, I don't believe that we would want to stain Mr. Diggory's memory, so, I believe that the two of you wish to join?"

"Um . . . . Sir, join what?" Ginny asked.

"Not formally, since that wouldn't be helpful, but I believe that you know what the Order of the Phoenix is?"

"Sir," Harry gasped, "Why would you want us to join it? I'm already allowed to be in on the meetings."

"Like I said, not formally; but, we have a funeral to attend, today, if I'm correct?"

"Wait, how long have we been out?"

"Three days."

"That was longer than last time!"

"Yes, well, that cannot be helped."

XXX

The people sat.

Most of them silently cried.

Fleur was one of them.

Ginny was one of them.

Cho Chang was one of them.

The normal banners for the end of the year were pitch black, and Harry held Ginny while she cried. Hermione cried too, but she was doing it silently. Luna sniffed and cried into George's shoulder, while the red haired seventeen year old tried to comfort her. Fred and Ron were still in shock, and Angelina was trying to comfort Fred while she herself cried too. The Weasley family made a protective barrier around Harry, Ginny, George and Luna although Percy wasn't there. Friends, family, house-mates, year-mates, Beauxbatons students, Durmstrang students, Hogwarts students, they all had one thing in common: they were all attending the funeral of Cedric Diggory. Ginny just wanted it all to end. She wanted this dream to be over. The dream she was having, it wasn't sweet at all.

_Ginny, we'll be okay._

_ Harry. . . ._

They kissed, for one fleeting moment, but nobody had the heart to say anything. Cedric was dead. The boy that they had all come to befriend over the last seven years was dead. That was the matter of fact. And Ginny Potter just wanted it to be over, but sadly, it wasn't. It never would be. Death was going to make more trips to Britain than ever, she knew it. So, she wept. Ginny wept for Cedric's death, she wept for the return of Voldemort, and she wept for the upcoming deaths she would have to witness.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this," Dumbledore began, "But Cedric Diggory's death was not caused by accident. Cedric Diggory died at the hands of Voldemort."

Sarah and James Potter stood in the painting right behind Dumbledore, and everybody could hear their loud cries of anguish. Many people though that the two of them were only crying because of the Dark Lord's return, but that was not the case. They were crying for the death of a boy who should have lived his life to the fullest. They were crying because the boy died when it was not his time, and they cried because they would never see another Diggory at their school, because Cedric Diggory was dead.

Two other people sat right next to the bonded four. They were almost unrecognizable to everybody, except the parents of the children currently at school. The boy, who looked no older than seventeen, was currently holding hands with the girl, who also looked no older than seventeen. The boy had silvery grey eyes, that were no longer haunted by his painful past, and he had unruly black hair, but not in the same manner as his late friend's son or his late friend himself. The girl, she had green eyes that were called emerald, sea green, stem leaf, or just plain green. She had messy locks of pale blonde hair, and it was obvious she was somehow related to two other people who were called Moonstone and Quinn Lovegood. The black haired boy and pale blonde haired girl were known as Sirius and Rosemary Black. Remus Lupin, Andromeda Tonks and Ted Tonks, and even Nymphadora Tonks sat with the Weasleys. Ginny and Harry could hear Sirius whispering to Mary, "It's okay Mars."

The funeral continued on, and Ginny felt the pain-stricken memories of how she had known Cedric. In truth, she really hadn't talked to the boy until a few moments before his death, and she silently wondered how his family was doing. They had given Fred and George Harry's prize money, all of it, so that the twins could open up their joke store. It seemed a good way to honor Cedric's memory, but the twins really didn't have a choice but to accept anyways.

When it was time to go, Ginny and Harry went back upstairs to pack. Basically, Dumbledore saw no more reasons to allow them to continue the school year, although fifth and seventh years would have to stay behind to complete their OWLS and NEWTS. They packed up all of their stuff; books, cauldrons, clothes, and looked at the room. Ginny sighed, "We'll see you next year, Sarah, James."

The two grief-stricken paintings nodded, and James, for the first time, said to them, "We'll see you next year too."

And so, Harry and Ginny met up with their friends in the Gryffindor Common Room. "I can't believe he's gone and Voldemort's back," Luna sighed, and Ron and Hermione winced.

_Harry?_

_ Yes?_

_ Can you promise me something?_

They started to walk to the Hogsmeade train station, when Fleur bumped into the seven of them. "Ack; I'm so very sorry, oh, it's you seven," she then smiled, "I would like to let you know that once I get back home, I'm going to get a job up here. Honestly, I'm making the excuse I want to 'perfect my English'. Well, see you soon?"

_Promise you what?_

"We'll see you one day," Harry and Ginny both agreed, before they continued on their way with the other five.

_Promise me you won't give yourself up to Voldemort unless you have a damn good reason to._

Harry looked over at her, _Ginny?_

_ Promise Harry._

_ I promise._

_ Harry?_

_ Yes?_

_ I love you._

_ I love you too, Ginny._

The seven of them continued on their way, off to the carriages. And for once, Harry turned around to look at Hogwarts Castle, and Ginny did the same. He wanted to say goodbye, but he didn't know how to put it. "Goodbye Cedric," Ginny spoke for him, "And may you forever rest in peace. I hope the gates of death welcomed you joyously into heaven, because you never did anything wrong. Harry wishes the same thing for you, although he doesn't know how to say it. Goodbye Cedric Diggory and we hope that you find happiness once more."

Ginny grabbed his hand, and the two of them continued on their way, getting a carriage to themselves. Both of them had anguish, grief, and a small ounce of hope inside them. Hope that one day, they would bring Voldemort to his final death. Hope that one day, they would have their happily ever after. And then, a thought came to Ginny. One of a conversation she heard Sirius and Dumbledore having just a year ago. There was something strange about it. _Horcruxes, the Order, and Headquarters; Harry!_

_ What?_

_ Dumbledore and Sirius were having a conversation a year ago about something. It had to do with Horcruxes, the Order of the Phoenix, and Headquarters! Grimmauld Place is being opened up as Headquarters for the Order! But what are Horcruxes?_

_ I don't know._

The two of them continued on their way, stepping out of the carriage, and walked to Hogsmeade Station. Memories of Harry's third years flooded into their minds as they stepped onto the scarlet Hogwarts train. Trying to find their friends' compartment, they searched for a few minutes, before they found them, but decided that their friends' compartment was full enough. So, the two of them found an empty compartment, before they sat down in it, and were not joined by anybody; Ginny sat right next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Both let out sighs, and Harry said, "We still have a long way to go."

"Yeah, we do."

"Cedric shouldn't have died, but I couldn't have died either."

"Do you think that we'll see him one day, again?"

"I think that, maybe, one day, if we both survive this mess, it would be a long time before we saw him again. Remember Moonstone and Quinn? Or how about Sarah and James; the four of them still looked seventeen, and Moonstone and Quinn are somehow still alive. I honestly think that they didn't build their own Philosopher's Stones, so that only leaves one solution: the Bond makes us immortal."

"It's such a scary thing to think about. Outliving my brothers, my kids, my nieces and nephews," Ginny whispered.

"They're my family too, but I don't want to lose them just because we're related through marriage."

_I wish it didn't have to be this way._

"I know."

Ginny sighed and looked out the window. The countryside rushed past, as did the magical forests. It wasn't fair, the game Voldemort was playing. It was like chess, this game. You take one piece, and then it's the opponent's turn. She didn't like it one bit. They needed to take control, as soon as possible. Who would win? Who would lose? If Voldemort was the King of the side of the black chess pieces, then she and Harry would be the Queen and King. Dumbledore was going to make them lose this battle, and she had no intends of losing, ever.

"_The emerald and ruby will regain their spots as King and Queen"_

Ginny and Harry knew nothing of Trelawney's latest prophecy, but both of them were determined to not let Voldemort win. Voldemort had fallen once before, who said that he wouldn't fall again? But this time, they were determined to finish off Voldemort for good. And they would make sure of it. Whatever made Voldemort able to come back, they would kill it off. _You know, you have too active of an imagination._

_Hey!_

_Joking, Gin, joking._

_Sure you were._

_Hey! I really was._

_Liar, _Ginny laughed out loud.

"Why you," he growled, before laughing with her.

Yes, Voldemort was going to pay.

**A/N: Still have the epilogue left, and then we're done with this one. Honestly, I had a really fun time writing this one. And I'm going to miss writing it. But, as always, a story must end at some point. But, no formal goodbyes! We aren't done with the series yet!**

**Review by Sunshine 72: ****I can't wait to see what happens next. I love it. Thanks.**

**Response: Thank you! Well, here's what happened. And I'm glad you've enjoyed this story so much!**

**Review by Darrell-dream: Good chapter, but way too short! If you're going to continue writing them this short then you're going to have to post four or five a day.**

**Response: Yes, well, Ack! You got me tied. Honestly, I had writer's block (damn you writer's block!), but when I figured out what I wanted to do, there wasn't much left I realized. We don't hear about hardly anything after the Third Task until JKR's The Order of the Phoenix, so I did it similar styled. Besides, the point of this chapter is also supposed to say how much Harry can't actually remember after the Third Task, since everything seems like a blur. You'll hear more on that in Destined Fate. Like I said before, there just wasn't much more to write after the Third Task, since nothing really goes on in the time period of March to the Third Task. The Destined Fate chapters are much longer, believe me, they are. Thank you for the review, and I hope that you continue to follow the series. And yes, I know, the epilogue is similar styled to this one (way too short and quick), but I think that it's going to seem that way since I didn't write the epilogue with much words (sorry 'bout that!).**


	26. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own HP, JKR does.**

**A/N: And here is the epilogue. Not really much more I want to say, so here it is.**

Harry and Ginny found their way through the crowded wizarding part of Kings Cross Station. Carrying Hedwig's cage, which the owl was occupying, and carrying their trunks was slightly difficult, but they heard a familiar voice, "Where's Harry and Ginny at?"

Turning around, they saw the much younger forms of Sirius and Mary. The two of them were looking around, and then spotted them. "There you are!" Mary cried, "Don't do that again. Worried the crap out of us, you did."

Molly and Arthur, along with Ron, Luna, George, Hermione for some reason, and Fred came over. "Why didn't you two join us in the compartment?" Luna asked.

Ginny shrugged as Harry answered, "The compartment seemed full."

Shaking her head, Molly looked at them. In truth, Harry and Ginny had grown a few inches, not as many as Ron had, but it was still enough for them to be noticeably taller. If they asked anybody, the person would answer that being so close to them made it seem as if magic was quite literally in the air, and only Sirius and Mary didn't seem to mind it, as well as George and Luna. Luna, however, was currently standing on George's shoes, and they were snogging. Ron made gagging sounds when he saw this, and Luna finally pulled away, her face red, before she said, "Bye Georgie, see you soon."

Luna then grabbed her trunk, and her screech owl Obsidian's cage, which the owl was sleeping in, before she went over to Sirius, Mary, Harry and Ginny. After Mrs. Weasley found out about their Bond, she had asked them where they wanted to stay, and they said Grimmauld Place, which was fine, since the Weasleys would be staying there sometime soon. Harry had the suspicion that was because of the Order, but they weren't quite sure if that was correct or not.

"Well, come along now," Sirius grinned, and the five of them continued on to the Apparation Point, and in a matter of minutes, they were all inside Grimmauld Place.

Mary looked over at them, before saying, "Harry, Ginny, you already know the bedroom where you'll be sleeping at. Fair warning, we've expanded the house quite a bit since last time, for the intents of the Order. Luna, yours is three doors down from theirs."

Harry and Ginny carried their trunks and Hedwig up to their room, Luna following them before she walked off to her own, and the two bonded teenagers walked in, the shaggy carpet feeling welcome. "Well, we did it," Ginny sighed.

And they had.

They had escaped the Fire.

**A/N: Short epilogue, I know! Destined Fate is going to be much longer in chapters, so you won't have to worry about that. It's just that I've already written all I could, and now I'm finished with Escaping the Fire, sadly. Well, not much more to say about this story, so, I'll see you all in Destined Fate.**

**Review by Darrel-dream: ****Oh well, another short but good chapter. I'm looking forward to 'Destined Fate' and the other subsequent stories and hopefully longer chapters.**

**Response: Yeah, it was another short chapter. I'm glad you liked it though, and I'm glad you're looking forward to Destined Fate! Thanks for the review!**


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